The Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra is roaring back to empower women as it continues to live on throughout the years: From Madonna to Rihanna and Kylie Jenner.
The cone bra is a piece of clothing recognized for its cultural sensation and significance in women’s empowerment. Jean Paul Gaultier who has been making his mark in the haute couture scene introduced his cone bra to the pop culture world on his very famous and influential client, Madonna, during her Blonde Ambition tour in April 1990.
Although Gaultier was making cone bras from Fall/Winter 1984-1985, it was during this tour that the bra became one for the books. Today, over 30 years later, celebrities are spotted rocking it more than ever, so what makes this piece so momentous and timeless?
Image Credit: Shutterstock, Photographer John Roca
The Cone Bra’s Show-Stopping Debut and Legacy
When Madonna requested Jean Paul Gaultier to design her costumes for the Blonde Ambition tour, a great deal of fashion history was made. The cone bra made a statement for itself, not just because it grabbed the entire world’s attention but because it defied society’s limits on gender and sexuality and pushed societal views on a woman’s fashioned body forward. Because of this, the cone bra is an iconic and pivotal statement in the fashion world that continues to liberate women today.
The silhouette of the cone bra is a cone shape that peaks out where the bust is, it exaggerates the women’s body in a dramatic way so that it is noticed rather than compressed or minimized. The cone bra challenges the expected soft silhouette of a bra with an aggressive and dominant style. This leads women like Madonna to wear a statement that is loud in freedom and rebellion as well as in having control and awareness of one’s own body, sexuality, and choices.
Almost like a bulletproof bra, the cone bra strikes against society’s pressures, expectations and shames about the woman’s body! The connection that the world adores is how Madonna is a personification of the cone bra; as she represents the characteristics of the bra through her unapologetic, powerful, and dramatic persona and performances.
Image Credit: Shutterstock, photo by Eugene Adebari
The Cone Bra’s Resurgence on the Runway
The cone bra is the star of Oliver Rousteing’s collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier for this year’s Autumn/Winter show and he explains why he believed it was so crucial to incorporate the bra in the show. In an interview with Vogue On July 6, 2022, Rousteing states that “Madonna fully embracing the freedom of her breast doesn’t exist anymore. When you see how retrograde everything is becoming on social media, in the United States lately, it inspired me to revisit Madonna’s bustier to talk about the freedom of women and their emancipation.” This show pays homage to the revolutionary cone bra and celebrities and powerful women are loving it!
Image Credit: Getty Images, photo by Peter White
Rihanna Is Here for the Cone Bra and It Is Serving
Rihanna is a celebrity that has admired the cone bra for quite some time. Rihanna is known for being a fashion icon among being a successful singer, businesswoman, and billionaire! Because of this, it makes no sense for Rihanna to be rocking any ordinary lingerie which is why the cone bra is a perfect fit for the powerful and successful woman she is. For women who aspire to reach heights just as high, the cone bra assures women that they too can take on the world.
On May 13th, Rihanna and her boyfriend, ASAP Rocky, brought their newborn into the world and the fashion has only gotten better since. Rihanna was spotted wearing Jean Paul Gaultier on many occasions this summer, but of course, her cone bra outfit that she wore this July is one that especially stands out.
She rocked Jean Paul Gaultier’s navy satin cone bra from the Lotta Volkova collaboration with a long black leather jacket and saddle Dior bag. Rihanna exudes her woman power and glamorous energy in this look. Certainly, the cone bra matches this energy with the mogul and compliments the outfit’s vibe perfectly!
Image Credit: Backgrid, Photo by Roba Like
Kylie Jenner’s Looks Effortlessly Chic in Cone Bra Dress
The famous Jenner and founder of Kylie Cosmetics wore Jean Paul Gaultier’s conical dress in Santa Monica while out with her sisters just last month. Kylie Jenner struts on the scene while showing off her show-stopping cone bra mini dress. Her all-white fit featured the cone bra and a satin cami attached to it which gave the dress a seductive “falling off” look. The cone bra lets Kylie purposely embody her inner “scandal,” a term that Gaultier loves to name his designs and of course, the scandalous cone bra lives up to that name.
Image Credit: Backgrid
The Future of the Cone Bra
The cone bra is not just a bra, it stands for something unforgettable. It emits strength and freedom and it strikes against conforming to society’s expectations. The design of the cone bra channels the persona of a strong and liberated woman and it has been doing so for over three decades, the cone bra will never go out of style!
Published by HOLR Magazine.