The widespread shock and sadness at David Bowie’s death at age 69 has affirmed the breadth and depth of his influence — on music, art & fashion.

We were sad to hear of another great man passing away.
The widespread shock and sadness at David Bowie’s death at age 69 has affirmed the breadth and depth of his influence — on music, art & fashion.
We were sad to hear of another great man passing away. Originally a painter, Bowie was his own canvas, putting voice and face to his singular visions.

Sometimes disturbing, always at the vanguard, he never failed to be admired and respected by each new generation. Mr. Bowie wrote songs, above all, about being an outsider: an alien, a misfit, a sexual adventurer, a faraway astronaut. His music was always a mutable blend -rock, cabaret, jazz and what he called “plastic soul” — but it was suffused with genuine soul. He also captured the drama and longing of everyday life, enough to give him No. 1 pop hits like “Let’s Dance.”

In concerts and videos, Mr. Bowie’s costumes and imagery traversed styles, eras and continents, from German Expressionism to commedia dell’arte to Japanese kimonos to spacesuits. He set an example, and a challenge, for every arena spectacle in his wake.

We were lucky enough to attend the major exhibition of Bowie’s costumes, lyrics, scenery, and ephemera in 2014 at the Philarmonie in Paris. The show has since traveled to multiple countries on a still-ongoing tour. Expect to hear the Star Man a lot those days … as it should be.
We have another star in the sky now.

VFA