Dive into the fashion legacy of Liza Minnelli
Fashion historian Raissa Bretaña analyzes Liza Minelli’s signature style and legacy of red-sequined glitz—drawn from her film costumes, concert looks, and personal wardrobe of the 1970s.
Liza. It is a name synonymous with sequined stardom, and one that carries with it the enormity of a legendary, lifelong career in show business. Liza Minnelli’s ascent to mononymic fame seemed almost predestined, given her superlative talent, charisma, and Hollywood pedigree. Still, it was her distinctive look that helped to cement her place as a cultural icon. With her ritzy wardrobe, pert pixie cut, and exaggerated eyelashes, she created an image so recognizable that even the slightest imitation can instantly evoke her essence.
Flip through the catalog from the Love, Liza auction in 2018, which included hundreds of clothing items from Minnelli’s archive, and you’ll notice hallmarks of her style: blousy tunics, spangled pantsuits, plunging necklines, and sheer scarves. The ensembles—predominantly designed by Halston—feature variations of the same silhouettes, with simple cuts and draped ease. Few patterns can be found among the monochromatic, jewel-toned outfits; however, there is no shortage of embellishment. Festooned with sequins, rhinestones, and beads, Minnelli’s clothes were unapologetically glitzy, yet never gaudy. They could take her from a public appearance to a night on the town. That Minnelli’s performance costumes and personal wardrobe are so difficult to differentiate in the auction lot speaks to the singularity of her style and persona—informed by her life both on and off the stage.
That indelible persona was largely forged in the 1970s—an era in which she not only achieved immense professional success and superstardom, but also truly defined herself as an individual. Prior to her mother’s untimely death in 1969, Liza had primarily been known as Judy Garland’s daughter. But in 1972, she became a sensation in her own right with landmark performances in the film adaptation of “Cabaret” and her televised concert “Liza with a Z.” From this star persona emerged a sartorial blueprint for a look she would wear for the rest of her life.
On finding her signature style, Liza said, “Once I started doing more one woman shows and concerts, I saw how fashion could be part of the stories that I would tell in the songs. I knew I needed a new look that I could call my own, one that would reflect me and connect with the audience.” A key source of inspiration for this look came from the costumes she wore as a film actress. The 1970s marked an era of retro revival in both fashion and cinema, and many of the films Minnelli made during that decade had period settings—”Cabaret” (1972), “Lucky Lady” (1975), “A Matter of Time” (1976), and “New York, New York” (1977) among them. In each of them, Liza demonstrated her uncanny ability to inhabit the fashions of the past while retaining her undeniably modern spirit.
Her ability to exist between two eras was never more evident than at the Paris premiere of “Cabaret,” for which she wore a white Halston gown and matching turban. The look paid tribute to the movie’s 1930s setting, yet felt entirely fashion-forward. The film proved to be the most consequential of her career, and her portrayal of Sally Bowles would live on as part of her look. For the role, Minnelli’s mod pixie cut took on the angularity of the bobs worn by silent film actresses Louise Brooks and Lya de Putti—a style she wore throughout the decade. She also continued to wear the long, spider-like eyelashes that Christina Smith designed for the character. The combination of the upper and lower set made Liza’s naturally large eyes all the more expressive. But even more iconic than her hairstyle and lashes was the risqué costume she wore for the musical number “Mein Herr.” It included a bowler hat (a trademark of director/choreographer Bob Fosse) that would forever remain associated with Liza’s theatrical persona. Like Marlene Dietrich did with her top hat and tuxedo, Minnelli would resurrect this “Cabaret” costume for concert performances—most notably, for the medley finale of “Liza with a Z” and at the famed Battle of Versailles fashion show in 1973.
For her role in “New York, New York” (1977), Liza sported the shoulder pads and bumper bangs of the 1940s—at times, the spitting image of her mother in “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944). Directed by Martin Scorsese as an homage to the classic MGM musicals of the studio’s golden age—many of which were helmed by Liza’s father, the legendary Vincente Minnelli—her casting was a perfect tribute to Hollywood’s storied past. For the film’s epic finale, which features the now-ubiquitous theme song, costume designer Theadora van Runkle chose not to dress the leading lady in fashions from the postwar years. Rather, we see Minnelli in a historically anachronistic ensemble that looks like it came from her own closet. The billowing red chiffon blouse, coordinating scarf, and slim black satin pants make up the quintessential Liza silhouette—one repeated many times over in performance and personal attire.
The architect of much of her wardrobe was the American designer Halston, with whom Minnelli shared a close friendship. Their creative partnership is etched in fashion history—one that spanned runways, red carpets, concert venues, and Broadway stages. “He was the first one that gave me confidence,” Liza recalled. “I had the eye to know what was good and what wasn’t that great, but he knew what to do.” Halston’s design ethos was centered around allowing the fabric to dictate the shape of the garment, resulting in pieces defined by their effortless drape and uninhibited ease. As a wildly kinetic performer, Liza needed clothing that could move with her—and Halston’s clothes catered to every aspect of her life. He dressed her in golden yellow jersey for her winning night at the 1973 Academy Awards, white charmeuse for her sister Lorna Luft’s 25th birthday party, and purple sequins for an event honoring Martha Graham at Studio 54 in 1979. Minnelli was frequently photographed at the nightclub, and the glittering Halston jumpsuits she wore to the famed disco hot spot proved to be just as essential to her star-making as anything she wore on stage. Halston had sage advice when it came to developing a signature style: “Know Yourself. Know what suits your purposes.” He knew Liza intimately, and knew what purpose each of her outfits served. For example, his prodigious use of sequins on her stage costumes was not for mere panache, but to disguise her perspiration. He enhanced each performance by turning her sweat into sparkle.
Sparkles are a constant in Liza’s sartorial narrative—most particularly, red sequins, which serve as a semiotic link to Judy Garland and the ruby slippers that made her famous. Minnelli acknowledged her “Wizard of Oz” lineage by wearing ruby slippers of her own in 1974 when she married Jack Haley, Jr.—what better for the wedding of Dorothy’s daughter to the son of the Tin Man? But even as she stepped out from her mother’s shadow and came into her own, Liza turned to red sequins at pivotal moments throughout her career and solidifying their place within her iconography. She wore them on television in 1972—gyrating with exuberant bravado in a red sequined mini dress with matching tights and shoes in “Liza with a Z.” The sequins made another appearance in the film “New York, New York” (1977), where she wore a red sequined long-sleeve dress with a high slit—strikingly reminiscent of the costumes worn by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953). For her Tony Award-winning turn in “The Act” on Broadway in 1977, Liza wore a Halston-designed red sequined ensemble that bordered on self-parody—complete with jumpsuit, jacket, and hat. For her rhapsodic live performance of “New York, New York” to celebrate the centenary of the Statue of Liberty, she donned a red beaded jumpsuit and shawl. And for her 1992 “Liza Live” concert run at Radio City Music Hall, she dazzled in a red sequined tap dance costume, with matching backup dancers to boot.
From the sequins to the eyelashes, Liza Minnelli has crafted a signature look recognizable by visual shorthands. That her sartorial narrative remains so consistent beyond the 1970s and into the 21st century is a testament to her unmistakable style and enduring legacy as a cultural icon.
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