Janelle Monáe Robinson is celebrated for her bold and unique sense of style, setting herself apart from typical celebrity fashion. While she is often seen in impeccably tailored suits that fit her flawlessly, she occasionally steps away from her signature look to embrace more eclectic fashion choices.
For example, at the March 2022 Vanity Fair Party, the singer stunned in a daring and revealing dress.
Janelle Monáe’s Bold Vanity Fair Party Look
Janelle Monáe wears the most dangerous dress of the evening at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held on March 27, 2022, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: INSTARimages)
There’s no doubt about it: This dangerous Christian Siriano dress turned heads. The large diamond-shaped skin-revealing cutouts accentuated Janelle Monáe’s assets and gave us a taste of the dramatic flair we’ve come to expect from the singer.
The slim black dress featured white details, which matched perfectly with the rest of her mostly black-and-white closet staples.
Yet, while this dress was stunning, some critics thought that it wasn’t as outlandish and outspoken as her wardrobe normally is.
Janelle Monáe shows off her skin in a black cutout button-embellished gown from Christian Siriano
While certain critics can say what they want, Janelle Monáe said it was her style in an interview with Variety.
“What is something that I always feel comfortable in? It’s been black and white,” she said. ‘It’s been the androgynous look that matched my energy.”
So, if Janelle says it’s her style, it’s her style. She completed her look with a pair of strappy Jimmy Choo Minny sandals.
Janelle Monáe shows off her rings designed by Grace Lee and Delfina Delettrez overtop of her hand tattoos (Credit: Papixs / Instarimages)
Balancing Androgyny with Colorful Statements
Janelle Monáe may love black and white, but she has occasionally added a pop of color to her ensembles. For example, the singer attended a Ralph Lauren show in a bright yellow fur-collared coat earlier that year.
The pop of color highlighted Janelle Monáe’s face, drawing attention to her eyes and making it impossible to look away. This clever use of color was a signature touch, staying true to her style while still allowing her to wear her favorite closet staple—her suit.
Plenty of female stars wore suits for the Ralph Lauren Show, but Janelle Monáe made the biggest statement with her accessory choices, including a pair of black patent leather platform sandals.
Janelle Monáe wears a yellow faux fur coat over a suit at the Ralph Lauren AW22 show held March 22, 2022, in New York City (Credit: John Nacion / Startraksphoto)
Janelle Monáe: A Multi-Talented Artist
Besides her impeccable fashion taste, Janelle is a Grammy-winning singer and performer, an incredibly talented actress, and now — an author.
In December 2021, Janelle Monáe announced that she would write a series of short stories based on the songs from her album, Dirty Computer. The Memory Librarian was released on April 19, 2022, and explores “a world in which thoughts—as a means of self-conception—could be controlled or erased by a select few.”
This book of short stories is about “exploring how different threads of liberation – queerness, race, gender plurality, and love – become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such a totalitarian landscape … and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms.”
As if that were not enough, Janelle Monáe was wrapping up the remaining few shows of her 2022 tour and preparing for a movie premiere.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiered on September 10, 2022, and stars Janelle Monáe alongside Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Daniel Craig. Let’s look at another one of the hitmaker’s stunning looks.
Janelle Monáe’s Iconic Monochrome Style
Janelle Monáe tops her hair with a Jennifer Behr headband at the 89th annual Academy Awards held on February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles (Credit: Apega / Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
Going back to what we were saying about Janelle Monáe’s love of black-and-white looks, some celebrities have styles they repeat so often that they eventually become trademarks.
Lady Gaga wears ridiculously high platform shoes, Anna Wintour wears dark sunglasses, and Janelle Monáe wears a monochrome look.
Janelle Monáe stuns in an intricately embellished Elie Saab gown at the 2017 Academy Awards, combining bold elegance with a dramatic, sheer design
The singer-slash-actress went big for her first-ever Oscars — and when we say big, we mean it literally. Janelle arrived at the 2017 Academy Awards in a huge outfit that perfectly matched the ridiculous and the whimsical.
Janelle Monáe completes her stunning Elie Saab gown with intricate butterfly embellishments, complemented by dazzling statement rings and earrings that enhance the gown’s regal detail (Credit: WENN)
The “Moonlight” and “Hidden Fences” actress wore an Elie Saab gown comprised mostly of tulle, starting with the bodice, a fully embellished skirt, and two puffy panels at the side. The skirt and bodice were adorned with fully beaded bird appliques.
A close-up look at Janelle Monáe’s stunning Elie Saab gown paired with geometric patterned platform heels, showcasing the intricate craftsmanship and bold accessories (Credit: Maeve Reilly’s Instagram)
As if all her embellishments weren’t enough, the singer wore heavy-duty jewels from Forevermark. Janelle finished her look with a Jimmy Choo clutch and Brian Atwood “Tribeca” sandals.
Janelle Monáe Robinson shows off the back view of her gorgeous Elie Saab dress (Credit: WENN)
Not only did Janelle use her big Oscars night to promote herself and her work, but she also used it to send a message to the world.
The actress uploaded a photo of herself rejoicing onstage after one of her Oscar-nominated films, Moonlight, won Best Picture.
Janelle was also part of another Oscar-nominated film, “Hidden Figures.” Both of her works highlighted milestones for Black Americans.
Brian Atwood “Tribeca” Platform Sandals, $950