Written by Zoё Frantz
Edited by Leah Champagne
Amy Winehouse’s music was and remains a shining lighthouse for listeners to take comfort in when the weight of the world feels like a storm. Although her career and life were cut far too short, her four albums, Frank, Back to Black, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, and Amy Winehouse at the BBC, encapsulate her big heart, beautiful soul, and immense talent. In addition to her unmistakable creative vision, her tattoos, larger-than-life beehive and thick black winged eyeliner became synonymous with the starlet’s style. So, in honour of Amy, I will explore these tenets and celebrate some of her most iconic looks.
The Beehive
Foundational to Winehouse’s personal style was her beehive hairstyle. Her grandmother Cynthia Winehouse, whom she called “Nan,” was her personal hero, and she took many of her musical and fashion cues from her. This included her love for jazz and early rock, which came through in her sound and extended into her hairstyle. In particular, because of her grandmother’s musical interests, one of Winehouse’s biggest musical influences was Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes, who wore a similar hairstyle when she performed. The beehive also started as a joke between Winehouse and her hairdresser, Alex Foden, who backcombed her hair one day and added extra hair to make the over-the-top beehive. So, while the beehive began as a nod to Winehouse’s favourite 1960s girl group, a joke between friends transformed it into her signature oversized beehive. This hair evolution is evident across her albums; notably, on the cover of her first album, Frank (2003), Winehouse does not have a beehive – instead, she wears her jet-black hair long and wavy. However, for the release of Back to Black (2006), the beehive was on the record’s American and Japanese cover (though not on the standard edition). As for her two posthumous albums, Lioness: Hidden Treasures (2011) and Amy Winehouse at the BBC (2012), Winehouse can be seen wearing her hair at her highest, now a key identifier of the singer’s style. Along the way, she experimented with blond streaks, but her jet-black hair was truly vintage Winehouse. This was echoed in her personal life, too – throughout her adolescence, she similarly wore her hair down and long until the beehive eventually became her daily do.
A Signature Winged Liner and Monroe Piercing
Two more core pieces of Amy Winehouse’s look were her thick black eyeliner, which made her hazel eyes pop, and her sparkly Monroe piercing. This also likely took inspiration from her favourite singers of the 1960s and the hyper-feminine makeup often characteristic of female singers of the time. Like the beehive, her eyeliner became more pronounced over time, and her Nan likely helped her perfect the look. Meanwhile, her Monroe piercing was in homage, of course, to Marilyn Monroe, a textbook bombshell and unmistakably glamourous lady. She had this piercing throughout her career, as seen in the music videos for Frank songs, including “In My Bed.” Together, these elements made up Winehouse’s iconic “makeup” look, striking the perfect balance of feminine and counterculture.
Tattoos
Her bold tattoos with red and blue accents were juxtaposed with these generally feminine components of Amy’s style. She had 14 tattoos in total, comprising patchwork sleeves on both of her arms (before they were called “patchwork sleeves,” of course) and a number dispersed all over her body, seven of which were done by her good friend and London-based tattoo artist, Henry Hate. One was the pin-up with a tied red button-down shirt, black high-waisted sailor shorts, little black pumps, and a feathery blowout hairstyle on her outer-right shoulder.
Next to the figure are two red hearts and the name Cynthia, denoting the tattoo’s honouring of Amy’s grandmother, the two hearts likely representing her’s and Amy’s, always kindred and close to one another. In addition, on her outer-left shoulder is the red and blue-green horseshoe on her outer left shoulder, with “Daddy’s Girl” in big cursive letters surrounding it. Amy got this tattoo for her father, another major influence and love of her life. Finally, on her left upper chest is a tattoo depicting a button-closure pocket with Blake’s above it. Winehouse got this tattoo for her then-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil; he was the love of her life, and many of her tattoos seem to be reminiscent of the ones he had, including the aforementioned pin-up. In this case, where Fielder-Civil had a tattoo above his heart for Elvis Presley, who he had a deep admiration for, Winehouse had one for Fielder-Civil, who she loved unconditionally, thus he could ‘easily access’ her heart (though he did not deserve it). The couple’s relationship was deeply tumultuous; Blake was extremely abusive and an addict himself. He enabled Amy’s drug and alcohol addictions, all of which Amy reflects on in Back to Black. The couple ended up getting a divorce, so Amy went back to Hate to cover up Blake’s name, but she unfortunately passed away before the amendment could be made.
Rockabilly Chic
Amy Winehouse was truly one of a kind, not just in her talent or style but also as a woman with a big heart that we all have the privilege of sharing. Her style, inspired by many generations past, has and will undoubtedly continue to inspire this generation and those to come. A truly unapologetic diva, she is proof that personal style is all about individuality and the things that make you happy, which is something I think we can all stand to be reminded of.
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