When Janelle Monae first burst onto the scene in 2007 with her debut concept album Metropolis, she became known for her uniform: a black and white suit that made everyone consider investing in their own.
Her minimalist suits on the red carpet were more than just a personal preference. “It’s a dedication to uniformity and I’m a minimalist by heart, but a lot of it had to do with me wanting to have a uniform like the working class, like my mom and my grandmother,” the singer told The Huffington Post in 2013.
Gradually, Monae began to introduce more color into her red carpet looks. She made a statement with red when she wore an embroidered cape to the Met Gala in 2014, and started to mix the shade into her monochrome looks frequently after that.
In 2018 at the Grammy Awards, Monae arrived in an elaborate, embellished Dolce & Gabanna pantsuit with a floral design, but she brought her most colorful look to the 2018 BET Awards, when she wore an elaborate rainbow ruffled gown, showing her support for Pride.
As her music became more personal, so did her ensembles. In her “Pynk” music video, which featured an appearance from her often rumored love interest, actress and activist Tessa Thompson, her pink pants stood out… particularly since they resembled female anatomy.
The pink, ruffled pants worn in the video were created by designer Duran Lantink, who has suggested they could go on sale in the future but they’re not on the market quite yet.
Her most recent appearance was at Coachella, where she had multiple outfit changes, going from a military-inspired ensemble to her signature “Pynk” pants.
Even though you can’t purchase a pair of pink pants of your own, there’s plenty of inspiration to be had from Monae’s other best looks.
See The Look Book: Janelle Monae
