The Unsung Icons of Black Women’s Fashion

SADE

If Janet Jackson, Madonna, and anybody else struggling to stay afloat in music has taught us anything, it’s that reinvention is important. For many, redundant styles and looks can stall their appeal to the wider public. Less appeal can equal irrelevance. But then there are the lucky few, or maybe just ones==or rather one, Helen Folasade Adu, better known as Sade, whose simple maintained beauty and genuine style can keep albums selling and fans at her feet. A Nigerian born artist, Sade has been captivating audiences since the ‘80s, and in all honesty, not much has changed about her style since that time. A writer for a blog from the Chicago Reader said it best: She goes for a classic look—ponytail, oversize hoop earrings, red lips, and slim-fitting, relatively understated clothing…Whether she’s in a simple white shirt or a cheongsam, she always looks like Sade.” And according to the people, that works just fine.