There’s something quite special about a New Year’s Eve outfit. On a day of contemplation — of photo dumping the highlights of the past 12 months and considering what you want to achieve in the next 12 — your choice of final party look feels like a proper send-off to that era; a closing chapter to that version of you. At least for the first few hours of the night until you’ve spilt wine over the Nensi Dojaka dress you rented and are sitting on the pavement getting deep with your bestie and two random people you just met and suddenly it’s 3AM.
And it’s no different for our favourite fashion icons. Whether that’s Grace Jones collaborating with some of the greatest artists of the 20th century to create a jaw-dropping 60-foot fashion spectacle. Or Paris and Kim, completely redefining the cultural concept of celebrity as they party the night away. Or Lady Gaga doing what Lady Gaga does best and stealing the show with a fabulous concept look and accessorising it with a little bit of controversy and a powerful message of inclusion. Here, we look back on some of the most iconic outfits of New Year’s Eves past.
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Brigitte Nielsen at Billy Wilder’s New Year’s Eve Party in Hollywood, 1986
1987 was about to be a big year for Danish model and actress Brigitte Nielsen. While a highly-publicised, 19-month marriage to Sylvester Stallone was about to end, the star landed her first ever Playboy cover, released her debut pop and hip-hop album, Everybody Tells A Story, and starred as the villainous Karla Fry in Beverly Hills Cop II. Here, Brigitte’s celebrating the New Year with acclaimed screenwriter, director and friend Billy Wilder, in a ruched black turtleneck dress with delicate lace gloves, a simple pearl necklace and earrings, and her platinum blonde hair perfectly coiffed. She later covered up the ensemble with an oversized metallic blue, fur-lined overcoat as she exited the party at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Spago’s, located in a beautiful 1920s-era house on The Sunset Strip.
Grace Jones at her New Year’s Eve concert in New York City, 1987
The only Grace Jones self-directed music video, for single “I’m not perfect (but I’m perfect for you)”, stars none other than queer pop artist Keith Haring. In it, he paints a giant piece of white fabric with dramatic black shapes in his distinctive style, which is later worn by the iconic singer as she performs the last chorus of the song, towering over her audience. This wasn’t the first time the pair worked together, having been introduced when they collaborated with Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe, painting Grace’s body in the same bold style, as well as for her role as Queen of the Vampires in the 1986 camp film Vamp. For the Grace Jones New Years Eve concert in 1987, the pair melded together their previous works, resurrecting the stunning 60-foot skirt and extending the design up with white body paint over her chest, arms and face. It was sure to have been one of the greatest fashion moments of all time, and a visually breath-taking phenomenon to witness.
Celine Dion performing on the Faite la Fête New Year’s Eve television special, 1996
In 1996, Celine Dion was at the height of success. She released her fourth English speaking studio album, Falling For You — which quickly became one of the best-selling albums of all time — just a year after her third French speaking studio album D’eux, the best-selling francophone album. On New Year’s Eve 1996, Celine looked radiant in a glittering gold turtleneck dress that extended into a train and an incredibly contemporary Rachel from Friends hairstyle. As she performed the ballad “Je reviendrai à Montréal” with Quebecois psychedelic and folk rock musician Robert Charlebois for the New Year’s Eve French Television special, Celine welcomed in the new year — one that would bring her continued success with the release of the 1997 film Titanic and thus her Academy Award for best original song with “My Heart Will Go On”.
Mandy Moore at MTVs New Year’s Eve bash, 2000
From 1999 to 2015, MTV hosted an annual New Year’s Eve bash with coverage of the Times Square Ball Drop, live performances and a host of icons of the moment in attendance — from Aaliyah and Jennifer Love Hewitt to Selena Gomez and Snooki. A face often seen in the event’s early years was Mandy Moore, who was making waves with her music career and a few Billboard Hot 100 singles. As she celebrated the forthcoming year — one that would include her role as popular girl Lana in The Princess Diaries — Mandy took to the MTV party dressed as a beautiful starry night sky with a rhinestone-studded, off-the-shoulder black top and matching skirt, both cut to just have a hint of skin showing in true early-00s fashion.
Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian in Sydney, Australia, 2006
Today, it’s hard to imagine anyone referring to reality star, business woman, beauty mogul and future lawyer Kim Kardashian as a part of someone’s entourage. But in 2006, she was known for being a stylist and friend to Paris Hilton, the original slasher it girl who became the blueprint for today’s influencers. That year, Paris and her friends were reportedly paid half a million dollars to fly to Sydney and spend a few days partying there over the new year, in order to drum up some press for the city. Paris and Kim were inseparable during the trip, seen holding hands in coordinated outfits, with giant Louis Vuitton bags slung over their arms — obviously all styled by Kim. At a NYE party in Sydney, the two were twinning in metallic, ruched dresses and embracing the 00s with their thick eyeliner, smoky eyes, glossy lips and layered necklaces. Although the marketing scheme was a success, with those behind it saying Paris should have been paid double, local tabloid reports from the time suggest Paris was less than pleased, leaving the event saying: “This is the worst party I’ve ever been to”.
Chlöe Sevigny at a New Year’s Eve party on Miami Beach, 2008
Bones And All actress and Y2K it girl Chlöe Sevigny took a mini break from acting in the latter half of the 00s after starring in Zodiac, the crime thriller directed by David Fincher. Instead, Chlöe strode into the world of fashion with a gender-fluid clothing collection for Opening Ceremony and by, fittingly, becoming a spokesperson for the fashion house Chloé. Hosting a New Year’s Eve party with rapper T.I. on Miami Beach in 2008, Chlöe showed off her fashion credentials wearing full Louis Vuitton Spring 2009. Her sheer berry blouse and ruffled orange mini skirt was a stunning look in which to toast the new year — one that would see her acting comeback in the Clea DuVall-led psychological thriller, The Killing Room, and David Lynch’s crime drama, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done.
Lady Gaga performing at the Times Square Ball Drop, 2011
When you ask Born This Way-era Lady Gaga to perform at the Times Square Ball Drop, you should expect nothing less than for Mother Monster than to turn up with a glitter ball protruding from her head. Paired with a chainmail Versace dress and diamond-encrusted white gloves, a matching Venetian Colombina mask extended into an orb, resembling the towering ball that would later drop at the stroke of the new year. It had been a mammoth year that saw her win a Grammy for The Fame Monster as well as release her sophomore album, appear on a rather iconic i-D cover and continue to be the subject of tabloid speculation and blowback for her unique freakish fashions and unapologetic sexual expressio. In true Gaga fashion, she ended 2011 performing two of her queerest bops, “Born This Way” and “Heavy Metal Lover”, on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve. All this occurred before she then controversially kissed billionaire and New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, at midnight and danced around the stage with him to “Auld Lang Syne”. Hey, it wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without making at least one final mistake before the clock strikes midnight.