Crop tops, bralets and bomber jackets are all back in style, so what better time to pay tribute to one of the first ladies of pop/hip-hop Neneh Cherry.
Neneh Cherry’s influence can be seen in a lot of the female pop stars out there today. Robyn has cited her fellow Swede as one of her major influences in music and style. Then there’s MIA, Rihanna, Azealia Banks, Nicki Minaj – they all have the bold style of Cherry.
Who didn’t love Neneh Cherry all the way back in 1988? Her album Raw Like Sushi played on countless Sonywalkmans, while young kids could mouth the rap to Buffalo Stance while wondering what a gigolo was. Wondering what the heck a buffalo stance was.
In the video for Buffalo Stance, the singer rocked the cycling shorts, the bomber jacket and the dollar medallion. Rewatching it, you can see that Rihanna’s Rude Boy music video owes a heavy debt to it.
She was cutting edge in those days, performing while heavily pregnant on Top of the Pops, years before MIA did the same at the Grammys, and a few years ahead of Demi Moore naked and pregnant on Vanity Fair.
You could say she was the first female pop star to bring streetwear to the stage - Salt n Pepa made it big a few years after her. She wore bold colours, African prints, she possessed an attitude and that now over used word ‘swagger’.
To answer the question as to what a Buffalo Stance is – it’s a way of posing, turned to the camera and with arms folded. And the Buffalo Posse were a group of creatives based in London, including photographers, models, musicians, designers and various hangers-on. They were all brought together by the late stylist Ray Petri, who was born in Dundee.
Petri said Buffalo was a “Caribbean expression to describe people who are rude boys or rebels. Not necessarily tough, but hard style taken from the street... a functional and stylish look; non-fashion with a hard attitude.”
Petri could be crediting with developing Neneh Cherry’s style – he brought his visionary sense of street style to the forefront in the eighties with his work in magazines Face and i-D. When Buffalo Stance became a huge worldwide hit, the West London Buffalo look went mainstream.
Big, bold jewellery was definitely part of her style. When she won a Brit Award in 1990 she melted it down to make jewellery, giving a piece to Jazzie B of Soul 2 Soul, because she thought he deserved it more. A dollar necklace was hung around her neck during the Raw Like Sushi days and she even wore a dollar-print all in one catsuit for one performance.
25 years on from Buffalo Stance, Neneh Cherry still has the attitude. She said in an interview recently, “Who needs a handbag? I put my money in my bra.”
How to get the Neneh Cherry look
There is a real late 80s and early 90s vibe on the high street at the moment, perfect timing for some Neneh Cherry inspiration.
Bomber jacket
Bomber jackets are big this season. Try this fluro green one for a vibrant late 80s look.
Warsaw Bomber Jacket by The Ragged Priest, from Top Shop - £55.00
Cycling shorts
Wearing cycling shorts outside of sport has often been considered a crime against fashion, but if they are good enough for Neneh Cherry, Rihanna and Robyn, then you may as well go for it.
Basic Cycle Shorts from Urban Outfitters - £8
Crop top
The midriff is the fashionable body part this spring, so there are a huge variety of crop tops on the high street. Try one with a zip or with lace detail.
Zip Front sun top from Topshop - £26
Short sleeve lace crop from Topshop - £15
Big hoop earrings and dollar medallion
Neneh Cherry was bling before the word was invented: wearing jewellery bold, heavy and oversized.
She was also a frequent wearer of a dollar necklace. You can pick up a cheap one from Amazon for about £4.
Flat Hoop Earrings from ASOS - £10
Trainers
Neneh strutted on Top of the Pops in high top trainers.
Supra Vaider Gold High Top Trainers - £70.00
Make-up
Complete the look with black eye-liner and smoky eyes, with the help of Benefit Smokin’ eyes make-over kit £28.50.
She has also claimed to be a fan of Swedish make-up brand Nars, so try Nars pure matte lipstick in Moscow £18.50.
Smooth your hair with Coconut hair shine from the Body Shop £5.50
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