Talking Freddie Mercury Fashion with Bohemian Rhapsody's Costume Designer

Still from Bohemian Rhapsody

Capturing the sound, spirit and style of Freddie Mercury and Queen, in a film like Bohemian Rhapsody, is a mammoth task, especially when it comes to getting the details right. Queen was legendary, and their scrupulous fans – who will soon be in attendance in cinemas – will never forget it.

Many will pay attention to the music featured in the film, while others will cast a careful eye on the clothing worn by the actors who play Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. After all, Queen’s outfits went hand in hand with their music and formed a large part of their rock and roll identity. The mighty task of assembling the wardrobe fell to costume designer Julian Day, whose credits include the Joy Division biopic, Control, and the upcoming Elton John film, Rocketman.

Freddie Mercury once said: “The whole point of Queen was to be original.” How much did Day honour that vision and how meticulous was he with specifics and research? Another Man had the opportunity to ask him about his integral role behind the scenes, plus some sartorial insights about Queen and the “dual sides” of Mercury.

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Yes, you should start dressing like Freddie Mercury

I’ll always walk around like a Persian popinjay," the never-modest Freddie Mercury once exclaimed. "And no one’s gonna stop me, honey!" And indeed, no one did — or could — until Aids tragically claimed his life in 1991. If it wasn’t fabulous, it had no place in Freddie’s book, whether as a toothy Parsi schoolboy or as the most exuberant rock'n'roll frontman to have ever walked the earth. Sure, his four-octave vocal range could make even Bob Plant hide in shame behind his curls, but, for Freddie, singing was but one part of the grand performance he called "life", and such a stage called, only naturally, for the most exquisite taste in fashion.

While perhaps best known today for his trademark moustache and undershirt look of the Eighties, Freddie experimented with radically different styles and kept things just as interesting visually, if not more than musically, for his legions of admirers. And it wasn’t just himself that he enjoyed dressing up; he once managed to smuggle Princess Diana into a gay bar by dolling her up in drag, let alone the rest of Queen for the now-classic "I Want To Break Free" video. Hell, the man even helped keep a then-broke David Bowie chic by giving him a pair of boots he couldn’t afford during his stint as a vintage clothes salesman in Kensington Market.

Ahead of what would have been his 72nd birthday on 5 September, as well as the much-anticipated Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, we give you 12 images of His Majesty at his sartorial finest.

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Freddie Mercury: frontman and fashion icon

In the years after his death, Freddie Mercury has become synonymous with flamboyance. His work and legacy have gone on to influence maverick musicians from Lady Gaga to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and fellow icon David Bowie. During the early days of Queen, Mercury announced: “I’m not going to be a star, I’m going to be a legend”. Even until the end, when he performed frail and gaunt in the video for “These are the Days Of Our Lives”, Mercury maintained professionalism, heart and unabashed style with every show. 

Alongside his powerful vocals, a relationship with his audience that Kurt Cobain felt envious enough of mention in his suicide letter, and a mighty moustache, Mercury’s reputation as one of the original fashion subversives still prevails today. He reached a pinnacle of fame that very few can match, where every element of his character and aesthetic is universally recognised and frequently copied, using fashion and design as a means for constant reinvention. Seamlessly springing from catsuits to military jackets, Freddie Mercury's style was in a constant flux of reinvention. Glam was defined across the eras by A Night At The Opera where Mercury donned a satin number for “Bohemian Rhapsody”, his monochrome catsuit in “We are the Champions”, and his iconic tank top and studded arm band for his Live Aid 1985 performance.

Here we revisit some of the Queen frontman’s best moments in style during his flamboyant reign.

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