Story highlights
The musician Prince has died at the age of 57
He had a successful career spanning four decades
His image was a crucial facet of his creative output, with many of his outfits becoming iconic
CNN
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His Royal Badness, the Purple One, “the artist formerly known as Prince” and of course, simply Prince, has died at the age of 57. With a career spanning four decades, and many monikers, the legendary musician will not be soon forgotten.
Nor will he be remembered solely for his music. Ever the showman, his image was a crucial facet of his creative output. From-head-to-toe sequins to ruffled collars, nudity and a well-publicized penchant for purple, Prince’s outfits became as legendary as his music.
Rising to prominence in the 1970s, he pioneered “the Minneapolis sound”, a mixture of funk, rock, pop, synthpop and new wave.
From NPG Records
Loose hair and bare chested -- the cover of Prince's 1979 self-titled sophomore album.
From Warner Bros.
"Purple rain, purple rain" -- The color which he became known for was best represented in the 1984 film "Purple Rain".
Ebet Roberts/Getty Images
Rockstar dandy -- From the Purple Rain 1984 tour.
From NPG Records
Naughty and nude -- The cover of Lovesexy, his tenth album was released in 1988.
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian/AP
Showing some skin -- Prince and The New Power Generation perform "Gett Off" at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. This revealing yellow jumpsuit was arguably one of his more outrageous outfits.
KMazur/WireImage/Getty Imges
True blue -- Coordinating an outfit around one color was a Prince signature. Here he is in electric blue at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Is that you Prince? -- He reportedly wore this wig, sunglasses, and false goatee as a disguise when he played with the opening act of The 10th Anniversary Essence Music Festival on July 2, 2004 in New Orleans.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
White hot -- Wearing white hood and heels at the People's Choice Awards, 2005.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
It's all about color -- A memorable performance at the Pepsi Halftime Show at Super Bowl XLI, February 4, 2007.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Power suiting -- Presenting the Best Female R&B Performance award during the 50th annual Grammy awards, February 10, 2008.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images
Never afraid to shine -- Wearing a head-to-toe sequined ensemble when he performed at Madison Square Garden in 2011.
Kevin Winter/WireImage/Getty Images
Tangerine dreams - Prince in another monochrome outfit, speaking onstage during The 57th Annual Grammys, February 8, 2015.
Image Group LA/ABC/Getty Images
Solid gold -- Prince speaking onstage during the 2015 American Music Awards.
Over the course of his career he won seven Grammy Awards, and earned 30 nominations. Five of his singles have topped the charts and 14 other songs hit the Top 10. He won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film “Purple Rain.”
Regarded as a pop culture icon, the artist played with gender and sexuality, always defying convention. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the way he dressed.
With a look that constantly evolved, his audacious wardrobe was an inspiration to the fashion industry, who have been paying tribute to him since the news broke.