From Grease to Physical to Xanada, Olivia’s fashion legacy lives on

Olivia Newton-John’s place in fashion history was cemented by one of cinema’s most memorable makeovers. Across from John Travolta in the 1979 film greaseNewton-John’s transformation as Sandy in the musical’s final moments taught generations that a black leather jacket, trousers so tight that they need to be sewn, and a spiral perm are enough to win the hearts of men. rice field.

The iconic look was revived with Australian label sass & bide’s Rats leggings, 2000s style staples and French designer Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2014 ready-to-wear show, where supermodel Cocoa Rocha sassy Sandy. It embodies evolution.

Equally influential was the late singer-actor’s ’50s-inspired attire. grease, Newton-John plays a 28-year-old teenager with shiny hair dressed in a full skirt, varsity jacket, and a high, swinging ponytail.

Rather than pushing or shaping trends like pop mates Cher and Madonna, Newton-John safely embodied the looks of the moment through the girl-next-door filter that stuck with her in her 70s. Did.

Newton-John’s fashion legacy Xanadu, It failed to catch fire at the box office in 1980. Over 40 years. Xanadu The style permeates popular culture, especially the Californian disco look worn by Newton John as Terpsichore, an ancient Greek muse with an Australian accent, strangely nicknamed Kira.

Newton John satin day dresses, Missoni harem pants, fringed white cowboy jackets, and Bobby Mannix-designed dresses became ’80s staples before being replaced with padded shoulders and dynastythere was even Xanadu Jacques Mulqueen’s dress collection, known as the imitation king of Seventh Avenue.

Away from film, Newton-John was equally influential, launching the Koala Blue boutique chain in the United States in 1983 with his friend Pat Farrar. At one point, he had over 60 Koala Blue stores in the United States, Hong Kong, Canada and Japan. , French and Australian brand featuring a vibrant logo designed by Ken Done.

The business was liquidated in 1992, but remained for a while in Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee, The most successful is a simple print design featuring the Koala Blue logo.