“I don’t want to be a star, I want to be a legend”.
On November 24, 1991, one of the most famous and influential artists in the history of music of all time, Freddie Mercury, passed away at just 45 years old. His last concert at Knebworth Park in London was attended by more than 100 thousand people, his legacy has inspired hundreds of singers and musicians such as Lady Gaga and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, just to name two.An unprecedented vocal talent, an explosive mastery of the stage and a visceral relationship with the audience made him an unforgettable icon.
Freddie Mercury was an innovator, he made his aesthetic and his relationship with fashion a mirror of his transgressive, versatile and intuitive personality. A continuous reinvention that uncompromisingly followed his moods and feelings.Born in the capital of the archipelago of Zanzibar, he moved to London in 1963 where he attended the Ealing College of Art and graduated in graphic design, it was he who designed the Queen’s logo.
“It’s not a concert you’re seeing, it’s a fashion show”, those were the words Freddie spoke about the band’s aesthetic. Mercury worked at a clothes stall in Kensington market together with his historical girlfriend Mary Austin, as revealed in an interview to the Telegraph by the “princess of punk” Zandra Rhodes, British designer who made many of Queen’s clothes in the ’70s.“We’re not like other people. If anything, we have more in common with Liza Minnelli than we do with Led Zeppelin”, Freddie once declared. His love of excess and showmanship made his performances unique and his outfits iconic: sequins, masks and costumes in full theatrical style, such as the batwing bostume designed by Rodhes in 1974 or the silver sequin catsuit of 1977. “We’re more in the showbiz tradition than the rock ‘n’ roll tradition”, he declared in an interview.Freddie and Queen’s intent was to shock and confuse, to play with stereotypes and overturn them in a whirlwind of colors, shapes, gestures and attitudes that marked not only an era but the entire history of showbiz. A real mainstream kick to gender stereotypes – a central theme of contemporary fashion – the Queen launch it with the video of “I Want To Break Free”.
In a black leather mini-skirt, hold-ups, heels, pale pink sleeveless sweater and bright pink earrings, Freddie wants to embody the role of the repressed housewife who wants to break free from a life that is always the same and tied to a retrograde vision of women. It’s a sassy play that works perfectly, thanks in part to her magnificent performance.
“I Want To Break Free” will soon become a manifesto of the LGBTQ+ community and will be an inspiration for all those who do not want to be identified in a precise gender and who have the unquestionable right to express themselves for example through cross-dressing, openly and rightly declaring that gender has no importance.Artists of the caliber of Kid Cudi, Young Thug and Lil Nas X today follow the path traced by Freddie during his incredible career, being extremely contemporary and being spokesmen for a change in perception and behavior that is now necessary. The androgyny and glam that characterized the ’70s give way to an aesthetic that winks at BDSM: Freddie grows a mustache, jeans become a staple of his wardrobe as well as large low-cut shirts and tank tops that show off his hairy chest, as well as belts and studded bracelets. A choice that reflects the style associated with the gay world of the 1980s.

Emblematic also in this sense was the performance at Live Aid in 1985. One of the most powerful, intense and memorable performances ever, during which Freddie wears a pair of light-colored Wrangler jeans, a pair of adidas Hercules and a white tank top.
This is undoubtedly the performance that will remain forever in the collective imagination and that will make Freddie Mercury enter the legend. One of Freddie Mercury’s great gifts was certainly self-deprecation. The video of “The Great Pretender” shows all the most iconic outfits worn by the Queen frontman during his performances, as in a sort of ironic review. An anticipator, a precursor, an archetype of style. Freddie redefined the concept of frontman and musician in general, bringing to the stage and in videos all the facets of his powerful personality, expressed through the clothes he wore. Today, more than ever, Freddie Mercury represents the epitome of the brave and transgressive artist who asserted himself without fear and with the boldness that is only of the greatest.