What do ancient Egyptian queens, fifties bombshells, glam rockers and sharply dressed fashion editors all have in common? They all love animal print, the cougar of cool and couture.
Just ask stylist and lifestyle coach Cookie Rose, who is passionate about aesthetics. She adores leopard print dresses, coats, tops, and accessories, which play an essential part in her wardrobe.
‘Leopard print represents classic glamour, often a bit cheeky, sexy, and cool. It can also be raunchy, showy and a bit tawdry, but very rock’n’roll. It all depends on your styling, how you combine it with other wardrobe pieces, because you can do so much with it,’ she says when she meets Styletalk Magazine for lunch at Pearch’s Tea Room in Oslo.
Among fashion experts, leopard print is often referred to as one of the great neutrals because it can be combined with anything. It gives versatility and for Cookie Rose, her passion for animal prints does not stop at clothes.
‘In addition to leopard, I also love zebra prints. I have decorated my apartment with leopard and zebra, everything from rugs, chairs, and decor pieces, such as a huge ceramic leopard I was lucky to inherit from my parents’ she says.
When Rolling Stone Magazine interviewed Rod Stewart in June 1973, he posed cheekily on the cover, wearing a leopard print suit. The magazine cover is now fashion history and has become a collector’s item.
Those who know their costume history know that the leopard’s skin has been in vogue as a ceremonial garment ever since ancient times. Modern day sirens like Dita von Teese often sport animal print outfits inspired by the 50s and 60s when singer and actress Eartha Kitt and pinup model Bettie Page loved to dress head to toe in leopard print. And what self- respecting diva has not gazed longingly at the way the voluptuous Jayne Mansfield practically burst out of a minimal leopard print bikini way back when the little garment was best known as a ‘two-piece swimsuit’?
The popular culture’s hall of fame is packed with celebs decked out in ostentatious animal print otfits. It has been a craze among glam rockers, punks, metal bands and aerobics instructors since the seventies and eighties, but the phenomenon has straddled the line between stylish and camp long before Steven Tyler stepped onto the stage in leopard print flares. The fashion police have long since labelled the pattern so loud and ultra-vulgar that if you are drawn to a pair of leopard print tights, be prepared for cancellation before you get a chance to purr.
Yet, there is hardly a self-respecting diva or glamour model who has not squeezed into one of Dolce & Gabbana’s tight leopard print corset dresses, or shopped for leopard underwear at Agent Provocateur. For Cookie Rose discovering the Italian fashion house in the 90s was a defining moment .
‘As a young adult in the 90s I was blown away, watching Dolce & Gabbana’s collections. It was such a revelation, and absolutely magical, the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life. It was probably my first encounter with leopard prints and it made a lasting impression,’ says Cookie Rose.
‘This was a time before social media, and we got our inspiration from MTV and the supermodels who dominated the spreads in fashion magazines and music videos.’
She particularly remembers George Michael’s music video for ‘Freedom!’ where ‘the Big 5’: Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz all lip sync to George Michael’s song, the late Patitz wearing leopard print lingerie.
‘Such an amazing and legendary video,’ says Cookie Rose, and adds:
‘The style was new to me, but at the same time I felt like it was something that I had been drawn to forever. It resonated with me. I love glamour and a bit of retro, and I have a clear idea of what I like and dislike. It is either/or, never anything in between. And leopard print was clearly my style.’
Exactly what it is that appeals so strongly is difficult to define.
‘I do not like to blend in. I have always liked to, not provoke, but I have never been afraid to stand out. And leopard print is not something you wear if you want to blend in,’ says Cookie Rose.
Most people are a little taken aback when she makes her entrance in her tight leopard dresses, bright red lips, and unapologetic femme fatale style. And there is no shortage of comments.
‘In general, I get positive remarks. But some probably think I am a bit much and take me for someone who is only concerned with appearances. It is kind of fun if some are a bit prejudiced and think I’m a superficial person. I choose to take it as compliment, because then I have achieved what I want – to not blend in,’ she says.
In her first job there was only one other girl, the rest were men. And the girl was shocked when Cookie arrived at work on Monday mornings rocking a look like she was going straight to a music video shoot at Whisky a Go Go in LA.
‘Yeah, it was like: ‘Red lipstick? On a Monday?’ she laughs. She also remembers a former boyfriend who thought that once they had been together for a few weeks, she could relax all the makeup and styling.
‘He thought I was doing it for him. Then I had to tell him that hey, this is me, this is who I am, not something I do to pretend to be someone else,’ she laughs.
Exactly what it is that makes many people so drawn to animal prints can be difficult to define. If it is not a hunter’s instinct or a primal urge to rule over other species in the wild, perhaps it is as simple as Nicholas Cage’s character Sailor says in the movie ‘Wild at Heart’:
‘This here is a snakeskin jacket! And for me it is a symbol of my individuality, and my belief… in personal freedom.’
‘My style is a statement, but first and foremost something I do for myself,’ says Cookie Rose.
‘It comes from within and is part of an innate desire to be elegant and glamorous as well as rebellious and a little crazy. I think it’s a great mix!’
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