The story behind Madonna’s most iconic ’90s looks, straight from her hairstylist: ‘She loves transforming herself’

With nan sequel to her 2005 “Confessions connected a Dance Floor” medium yet here, Madonna is revisiting her ain bequest — and truthful is 1 of her go-to glitter pros.

Celebrity hairstylist Garren worked pinch nan popular prima connected immoderate of her astir iconic ’90s and early-2000s looks, helping refine her ever-evolving image successful nan process.

“I conscionable emotion making characters retired of characters,” he told Page Six Style. “She loves transforming herself.”

After first connecting connected nan group of an Italian Vogue shoot, nan duo became “like fastener and key” for complete 2 decades, pinch Garren often offering candid feedback connected much than conscionable nan Queen of Pop’s hair.

Garren transformed Madonna’s hairsbreadth for respective high-profile mag covers, including this 1991 rumor of “Rolling Stone.” Rolling Stone

Garren (pictured backstage astatine NYFW successful 2019) has besides worked pinch a who’s who of Hollywood complete nan years, from Victoria Beckham to Kim Kardashian. Getty Images NYFW: The Shows

“I deliberation that’s what she liked astir moving pinch me, because she ever said, ‘Garren, what is incorrect pinch nan measurement everything looks?'” he laughed, recalling a clip he commented connected her outfit astatine nan Venice Film Festival — and coiled up accompanying her to a Tom Ford shop successful Canada instead.

“[She said], ‘You’re coming to Toronto pinch maine … because you’ve sewage to thief maine propulsion my look together to beryllium look much serious,'” he recalled.

Garren often originated style inspiration from different era, collecting tabletop tomes astir Old Hollywood. (“We would resistance nan books to nan shoot, and I would tag nan pages,” he recalled.)

Given Madonna’s now nan blueprint connected plentifulness of fans’ imagination boards, we asked nan famed hairstylist and R+Co and R+Co Bleu co-founder to crockery connected 3 of her astir iconic ‘dos — and which modern products he’d usage to re-create them.

Marilyn Monroe-inspired Vanity Fair cover, 1995

Madonna had a blond infinitesimal connected nan screen of Vanity Fair successful 1995. Vanity Fair

“[She was wearing] her ain Harry Winston jewelry that she bought connected her own. Those were nan days erstwhile she would travel to nan workplace by herself, and possibly her publicist would extremity by to conscionable opportunity hullo and past leave.”

R+Co Bleu Blonded Brightening Masque

R+Co Bleu

If you’re a “Material Girl” looking for products to attraction for your blond locks, Garren said he would usage this hairsbreadth disguise — plus nan Blonded Brightening Shampoo — to create this look today.

“Her hairsbreadth was bleached retired to this ray yellow, but it didn’t person that platinum radiance to it,” he said, explaining that nan luxe products would thief “make it much shimmery.” 

MTV VMAs, 1995

“It was expected to person a fur coat, but it was measurement excessively basking that night,” Garren recalled of nan superstar’s iconic Gucci look. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

“I had a autumn from nan precocious ’80s that I conscionable pulled retired of my closet. I person a stash of hairsbreadth that I keep, and I person a full area that’s Madonna hair. She [was inspired by] a image of Catherine Deneuve stepping done nan lobby pinch her hairsbreadth pulled up. I went for it and it really elevated her and took her to different level.

“It made Courtney Love very uncomfortable that she looked truthful glamorous. Madonna was like, ‘Oh God, present we go. She’s gonna wreck maine … don’t fto her touch my hair.'”

R+Co Bleu Cult Classic Hairspray

R+Co Bleu

While Madonna was wearing a hairpiece for her much-discussed VMAs appearance, Garren said he’d incorporated this spray to creat a akin style.

“I for illustration nan measurement it feels complete nan hair,” he said. “When you brushwood it out, it has a ton of memory.”

“Sex” book and “Erotica” euphony video, 1992

Garren was besides Madonna’s go-to connected group for euphony videos for illustration “Erotica.” Youtube/Madonna

“We conscionable had truthful overmuch nosy for 4 weeks. When you look astatine nan ‘Sex’ book, you think, ‘Oh my God, really did that happen?’ But we were laughing done nan full process because each business was group up.”

R+Co Bleu Optical Illusion Smoothing Oil

R+Co Bleu

To get nan slicked-back chignon from Madonna’s “Erotica” video, Garren recommends applying this lipid for a “glassy” look that stays put each day.

“Oil usually takes nan activity retired aliases nan curl out, [but] we wanted thing that would conscionable overgarment complete nan hair,” he said.

This question and reply has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Associate Editor for Page Six. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts celebrities’ brands to nan test and finds the beauty products that support stars reddish carpet-ready. She consults stylists and manufacture pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand merchandise recommendations, inclination predictions and more. In summation to penning for Page Six since 2020, her activity has been featured successful USA Today and Parade.