At the start of the millennium, No Doubt’s lead singer Gwen Stefani was reaching new levels of fame as a solo artist — and for the first time, her fashion sense was being celebrated as much as her music. The ultimate style outlier of the late Nineties to early Noughties, her discordant mix of genres and ideas — especially her 1998 MTV VMAs red-carpet look, complete with diamanté face jewels, pastel-blue hair and matching fuzzy bikini top — defined the alt-girl attitude of the era.
Thesinger subverted concepts of femininity and defined the sexy-tomboy aesthetic, with a revolving wardrobe of baggy trousers, cropped tops and bold makeup. Her looks brought together Eighties punk and old Hollywood glamour, with some ska and hip-hop thrown in for good measure. Stefani never followed trends; she started them.
And while she’s a popular source of inspiration for Generation Z and TikTok’s e-girls, the Grammy-award winning artist is more than just a nostalgic throwback. Twenty years on, it’s her fashion philosophy that has endured. Her style is daring, unapologetic and goes against the grain — like in 1999, when she proudly bared her orthodontic braces at the opening of the Christian Dior Boutique in New York. As Stefani is given this year’s Fashion Icon Award at the 2019 People’s Choice Awards, here are our favourite of her Nineties and Noughties looks.
Cut-outs
At the 2001 VH1 Music Awards, Stefani (above) married punk and hip-hop, pairing cropped trousers with a cut-out bodysuit. The details? A studded chain belt and the words “Hey Baby” emblazoned in jewels on her hip.
Midriff and midi
Arriving at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards, the No Doubt frontwoman served classic Nineties style, bare midriff and midi-skirt included. The textured, crinkled skirt and bold yellow top give it that Stefani spin.
Cyber-goth
Rave culture played a big part in Stefani’s late-Nineties style. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, she brought cyber-goth to the red carpet with a silk dip-dye skirt and mesh maroon top, plus futuristic braids.
Space buns
It might be a few years before No Doubt would release their fourth studio album, (2000), but Stefani was already wearing out-of-this-world looks. At the 1998 MTV VMAs, she rocked a furry blue bikini and icy space buns.
Dip-dyed tips
Stefani elevated the cyber-goth look in 1999 at the Hollywood premiere of , with her feathered, blonde Farrah Fawcett hairstyle, dip-dyed midnight blue.
Fuchsia fringe
At the 1999 opening of the Christian Dior Boutique in New York, the now-iconic blonde rocked hot-pink hair, courtesy of Manic Panic dye. Proving all it takes to lift full-look black is the right pop of colour.
Snow leopard
Stefani wore a snow-leopard sequin dress and coordinating fuschia hair and boots at Vivienne Westwood’s autumn/winter show during NYFW in 2000. She completed the look with oversized hoops, vampy makeup and pencil-thin eyebrows.
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Rockabilly glamour
For the 2001 Grammy Awards, Stefani was a Hollywood pin-up in a strapless red dress. Her delicate gloves perfectly juxtaposed with rock’n’roll fishnet stockings.
Punk-rock roots
Stefani’s punk-rock roots were front and centre at the 2001 Fox Billboard Music Awards, in houndstooth trousers paired with a cropped moto jacket. It’s the abundance of accessories that make it signature Stefani.