Madonna marked the 40th anniversary of her film debut by wearing the original jacket from ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ at a Manhattan fashion show benefit.
Madonna celebrated the 40th anniversary of her film debut in “Desperately Seeking Susan” by wearing the original jacquard jacket from the movie at a fashion show benefit held in Manhattan on Saturday. The longstanding icon, who is 66 years old, took the opportunity to mark this significant milestone from the cult classic, which was first released in theaters in 1985.
Costume designer Santo Loquasto, who created the 1950s cropped tuxedo jacket that became a crucial element in the film’s narrative surrounding mistaken identities, shared insights into his collaboration with Madonna during a recent CNN interview. “I’m going to exploit your [sense of style] totally because we’re all fascinated by it and you’re comfortable with it,” Loquasto recalled telling Madonna. He reminisced about how he would bring bags of jewelry to her trailer, encouraging her to express her unique fashion sense, stating, “I would shake a baggie of jewelry onto her couch in the trailer and say, ‘I’ll be back in an hour, have a ball.’ And she would go at it.”
The jacket Madonna wore features distinctive embellishments, including a gold lamé pyramid, Roman numerals for 1776, and the phrase “Novus ordo seclorum,” which translates to “The new order is dispatched.” This iconic piece was previously sold at Julien’s Auctions for $87,500 in 2016.
Madonna, originally from Michigan, secured the pivotal role of Susan Thomas, a free-spirited drifter, competing against several well-known actresses such as Barbra Streisand and Diane Keaton. When the film began shooting in September 1984, Madonna had only released a few singles—“Borderline,” “Holiday,” and “Lucky Star.” However, during the production, her music career surged with the release of her hit album “Like a Virgin,” which solidified her status as a global superstar. The film’s soundtrack even featured her song “Into the Groove.”
“Desperately Seeking Susan” has been recognized as one of Madonna’s best acting performances, as she portrayed a character that resonated with her own persona as an enigmatic downtown punk during that period. Rosanna Arquette, who played Roberta Glass, a suburban housewife, received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film. The movie, directed by Susan Seidelman, was produced on a budget of $4.5 million and went on to earn $27.3 million at the box office. In 2023, it was added to the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural significance.
At the fashion benefit event titled “Mother-Daughter-Holy Spirit,” which supports the Trans Justice Funding Project, Madonna mingled with other notable figures, including actress Julia Fox, whom Madonna cast in her self-directed biopic “Who’s That Girl” as her former friend Debi Mazar.
Additionally, Madonna is reportedly working on a sequel to her 2005 album “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” collaborating with musical director Stuart Price. Though she has plans for her musical future and is revisiting her past works, including the re-release of her sixth studio album “Bedtime Stories,” there is currently no update on her biopic, which has been delayed by Universal Pictures since last year.
Madonna remains a vibrant figure in the entertainment industry, still attracting approximately 38.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify and wrapping up her successful $225.3 million-grossing “Celebration Tour” in May.
Source: Noah Wire Services
