Cherry red lipstick, conveniently smudged eyeliner, and those ever so perfectly face-framing pieces from a messy-not-messy updo on the go- these are the ingredients that create the perfect rockstar girlfriend. Valentine’s Day steps up to the plate as the next major holiday celebration of the year (we’re in February already?) where lovers are sure to think about that special little someone in their life, and for those loners, I offer you my own list of rockstar girlfriends for you to think about.
Nana Osaki, Nana (2005)
“She’s hot. She’s got such a different vibe. I wonder if she’s in a band? (Then I want her autograph!)”
It just wouldn’t sit right with my gut if I made a whole mini list of rockstar gals, and not include the lead singer of Black Stones. Her signature style of leather, cigarette smoke, mini plaid skirts, and an established color palette of black, red, and silver that almost never changes (except when it’s time to throw on some leopard fur!) is a cultivated look that is bound to be noticeable, piercing through the brief gaps of raised hands and arms of fans, excitedly waiting for their idol. What fascinates me most about Nana is that while she fills the quintessential role of the arm-candy of a famous but reckless male celebrity to a T, it is nevertheless prove again and again that she is her own person, and that is a journey we are taken on through the course of this wonderful story crafted by Ai Yazawa. Hachi and Nana exist as a legendary, and extremely relatable, dynamic between two girls struggling with the crushing expectations of adulthood in a circle as creative, and as crazy, as theirs. They exist as one of my favorite female relationships in media to date, another one being….
Thelma, Thelma and Louise (1991 Film)
“You said you 'n' me was gonna get out of town and for once just really let our hair down. Well darlin', look out 'cause my hair is comin' down!”
You can definitely argue that this character has no place on a list like this. My retort would be that I simply don’t care. This movie is a beautiful and revolutionary take on the complexities of womanhood, female friendship, and what it means to truly liberate yourself from a society that is against you at every step and turn. What pushes this message is the changing of our female duo’s wardrobe, especially Thelma. Breaking free of the chains that locked her soul into the prison that is the naivety of a common housewife, her fashion choices shift from flowing floral maxi dresses to denim blue jeans, sunglasses, and a shirt even stolen from that of a man who needed to be taught a lesson. I implore anybody to drop their plans for the day and watch this wonderful movie if you haven’t already, and if you have, watch it again. For those who may seek a more flipped perspective, a sole female in a man’s world, I unashamedly implore you to look out for…
Marla Singer, Fight Club (1999)
“Marla... the little scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if only you could stop tonguing it, but you can't.”
Marla Singer, the only feminine element that exists in the suffocating, testosterone-filled atmosphere that is Fight Club. The Narrator may name a cancerous tumor after her, but I regard her lovingly as one of the fictional characters that has made a little nest inside my head. From the moment she appears on screen, you can’t help but wonder where she came from, and what circumstances led to her dreadful appearance, a prelude to the nihilistic branch of philosophy that she signs herself away to. Busted cigarettes hang from her mouth, accompanied by glasses with lenses so dark that you never see whether she’s looking at you, or through you. Sleaze leaks from her frame, usually covered by the most tattered of spaghetti strap midi dresses and a coat that you’ll forever be jealous of. If you looked up crazy broad in a dictionary, her picture would be right there, front and center. Well. Maybe not front and center, because that spot will have to go to…
Elvira, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
“And if they ever ask about me, tell them I was more than just a great set of boobs. I was also an incredible pair of legs.”
Elvira, Elvira, Elvira! If ‘rockstar girlfriend’ was a course, well…she’d probably be late to teach it! For those who gravitate towards the macabre with a certain strut in your walk, this is the woman you hope every night that you make her proud. Sexy black maxi dresses with worn-down flared sleeves, an incredibly well-fitting neckline that plunges you straight to a waist-defining dagger belt…where else, and who else could you find something like this? A crazy broad that lets opinions other than her own roll off the windshield of her fang-tastic car, her personality is magnetic and sultry in the best way possible. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
That wraps up this little list of rockstar girlfriends and their show-stopping fashion. Make sure you do things that only the likes of Elvira or Thelma would do, stay safe, and join us for more in our next issue!
Written by Nariyah Gonzalez