Midwest Fashion Guru Janelle Monae
By Teresa HuttonDec. 21 2023, Published 2:36 a.m. ET
When you think of someone who is truly the definition of being comfortable in her skin, Janelle Monae truly is the definition of that!
Her unique style and fashion sense transcends through everything she brings to the forefront.
The Midwest beauty is never afraid to be creative, unapologetic, and downright diverse in her fashion. We are all convinced there is nothing in fashion Janelle Monae will not try — she is a soulful creative artist inside who yearns to be themselves by communicating who they are in fashion.
Roles of Fashion for Janelle Monae
Brand Ambassador:
Janelle Monae has a way of taking her fashion to the next level — so it is no surprise she has partnered with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry and beyond. In 2017, she was featured in The Gap’s holiday campaign. She has also worked with Tiffany & Co., CoverGirl, and even Adobe!
Met Gala Best Dressed List:
Janelle Monae attended her first Met Gala in 2012, and since then, she has been on the best-dressed list of the iconic event. Here is a look at some of her most show-stopping ensembles:
- Met Gala 2015 — Janelle Monae in her signature black-and-white color palette in a design by H&M
- Met Gala 2017 — Janelle went for “jazz meets punk” in her custom (black-and-white) Ralph & Russo feathered gown, which took over 11,000 hours to complete, per Vogue.
- Met Gala 2022 — Janelle sparkled in a hooded dress by Ralph Lauren
“I use fashion to make lots of statements,” she told Vanity Fair on the Met Gala red carpet in 2018. “My black and white is meant to honor my working-class parents. My mother was a janitor, both my fathers, my biological father and my stepfather, were custodians, sanitation workers, post-office workers. For me, I try to say something as much as possible, say something that means something to other people outside of myself. Sometimes I don’t.”
More Fashion and Life Quotes from Janelle Monae
“I believe that imagination inspires nations. “It's something that I live by. And I've always been a lover of Walter E. Disney, Salvador Dali, surrealism, Octavia Butler ... you know, science fiction in general." — NPR
“I'm always encouraging anyone watching me to use me as inspiration to not create a blueprint, but a you-print: A you-print of who you are, what you have to say, what your purpose is, further investigating the type of art you want to make, the type of legacy you want to leave behind.” — People
“What is my uniform, what is my outfit going to be? What is something that I always feel comfortable in? It’s been black and white. It’s been the androgynous look that matched my energy.” — Variety
“The more I am free in my thinking and living outside of the binary, I’m on a constant discovery of who I can be. I can hold space for a lot of different things at the same time. I just felt like I wanted to free up my mind.”— British Vogue
She inspires the uninspired, she inspires the inspired. She is never stepping back but pushing forward with her fashion and 2024 is ready for what Janelle Monae is standing in!
