Ever since I started attending SCAD, I have heard the question, “Do you know who Chappell Roan is?” More times than I can count. That question is soon followed by, “You look exactly like her”. So to me, Roan’s rise in fame has been exponential. My data on this is the astute observation that no one ever told me I looked like Chappell Roan before the release of her newest album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Now perhaps this data is skewed by my attendance at an art school where everyone relates to “Casual” a concerning amount. But the ultimate reason I share this anecdote is that Roan has stamped an iconic enough look that one could recognize it on another person. And this is no small feat. Many artists have worked their entire careers trying to create a unique style that will set them apart. And it seems that in just 7 years Roan has done just that.
While fans of Roan have always been complimentary of her maximalist beauty choices, she has achieved a further outreach than ever with her recent performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert”. Her towering wig and purposefully messed up makeup stirred media attention, many wondering if the alleged “makeup malfunction” was a malfunction at all. But with the phenomenal celebrity makeup artist Sterling Tull on your team, it is clear this was an intentional choice. Tull shared her process with curious onlookers in a TikTok makeup tutorial. She reenacts the process of creating the clown white base, high skinny eyebrows, huge blue glitter eyes, and lipstick-stained teeth. And if you look closely, you will notice that all of Roan’s band has a makeup mishap of their own. This intentional choice has set Roan apart as an artist and perfectly encapsulates her playful and eccentric personal style.
But her colorful makeup isn’t her only defining visual characteristic, as her fiery curly hair ques fans just the same. Interestingly, Roan didn’t have red hair until 2022. Previous to that her hair was a more common brown with blonde highlights. The choice to implement copper hair into her look has been electric. Calculated choice or not, this hair change made her infinitely more recognizable. There is nothing like watching her red curls move with her on stage, drawing all attention to the mesmerizing woman. And while her bold look is certainly unique, it did not come about without inspiration.
Roan has stated time and time again that she is highly inspired by drag queens, and considers the character Chappell Roan her “drag project”. She categorizes her music as drag music, and has local drag performers open her shows. This source of inspiration sets her apart from a lot of the generic pop looks of the decade. The dragged-out makeup teamed with larger-than-life amber hair makes for quite the optical feast. And that is only referencing the neck up, as her glittering leotards and colorful cowboy boots only add to the experience. It reminds me of established icons such as Madonna and Lady Gaga, who utilized their queerness in both looks and music.
It feels as if Chappell may be for many LGBTQ+ kids what Lady Gaga was for me, or Madonna for those older than I. She so brilliantly depicts what it is like to be a queer woman, and does so while hypnotizing us with her fabulous look and magnetic stage presence. Roan walks a delicate tightrope with her look and music. She remains referential to the queer icons who strutted before her while paving her own rhinestone-encrusted path. In fact, it is imperative to say Chappell Roan is a “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”, like me!
Words by Fay Marks
Graphic by Aubrey Lauer