Singer, dancer – Tina Turner is first and foremost a great performer. And a great performer needs a great stage outfit. During her career, Tina Turner has worked with the world’s most renowned fashion designers: Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Bob Mackie, Azzedine Alaia, just to name a few. Below, a selection of fourteen of Tina’s most sparkly, outrageous, extravagant and rock ‘n’ roll stage outfits that are designed to blow the audience away. Beyoncé: be inspired!
1. Zebra with a tail
Tina’s stage persona was originally based on Sheena, the Jungle Queen. And what does a jungle queen do? That’s right: she hunts, and turns her game into fabulous dresses. In this case, the tail is still attached. Grrrr…
2. Where the heart is…
After Tina left Ike back in 1976, she completely re-invented her stage act. And she needed some new outfits to go along with the ‘new’ Tina. Enter Bob Mackie – legendary fashion designer probably most famous for creating all of Cher’s outrageous costumes. This one is particularly sexy, including a single stocking and a lot of skin.
3. Dress less to impress
The above outfits are actually part of the same act. Another Bob Mackie creation, Tina would enter the stage in red feathers and ribbons. While performing ‘Fever’, she would take off the pieces one by one to reveal the littlest of little black dresses by the end of the song. She would then tear into a steamy version of ‘Disco Inferno’. Burn, baby, burn!
4. Let’s fly away!
When Tina is on stage, she is not dancing: she flies! This is taken quite literally with the above outfit that Tina wore in the early 1980’s. It included wings which Tina would use for her ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ entrance. A golden version also exists.
5. The Jungle Queen, part 2
The Jungle Queen theme is never far away in Tina’s performances. The above outfit is jungle mixed with a Native American style. And it’s sexy.
6. Live Aid
Tina’s outfit at 1985’s Live Aid captivated the audience. But not necessarily for what she was wearing, but for what she was NOT wearing. Halfway during the performance, Mick Jagger decided to rip the skirt off, leaving Tina in her underwear in front of a stadium with 80,000 people (and a television audience of millions). A nightmare for most of us, Tina carried on singing as if nothing happened.
7. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll
The combination leather black dress with a jean jacket. Can it get anymore rock ‘n’ roll? This is Tina Turner at the peak of her career. Oh boy, she sure earned her title as Queen of Rock.
8. Red leather
Tunisian fashion designer Azzedine Alaia started designing outfits for Tina in the mid-80’s. The above outfit is probably the most iconic one. It’s red, and it’s leather! With a zipper down the front, this is the essence of rock ‘n’ roll chic.
9. Warrior woman
Another Alaia classic, this chain-mail-look turns Tina into the ultimate warrior woman. The leather belt gives it a rock ‘n’ roll touch. This outfit was the opening costume for her 1990 Foreign Affair tour. Tina liked it so much that she wore it again on the 1993 What’s Love tour.
10. Honey, it’s Versace
Tina didn’t like this Versace outfit at first: she found it too sparkly. We are so happy she was finally persuaded to wear it on stage. It doesn’t get any sexier than this. Note: Tina was 56 when she wore it!
11. Bond girl
This corset-style little black dress was designed by Italian duo Dolce and Gabbana for Tina’s 1996 Wildest Dreams tour. She wore it for the song Goldeneye. Indeed, it makes her look like the ultimate femme fatale, capable of making any spy tell all his secrets.
12. All that glitters
The 2000 Twenty Four Seven tour wasn’t our favorite tour, outfit-wise. However, the above Giorgio Armani dress is stunning. It combines everything we expect from a Tina dress: wild yet sophisticated, sparkly, rock and roll but classy. It also exists in a golden edition, but we prefer silver.
13. So we meet again, raggedy man
Tina reprised her outfit from 1985’s movie ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ on stage during her final tour in 2009. Bob Mackie designed it, and he added just a little bit more ‘sparkle’ compared to the movie version. It comes with a plastic head-piece, and it also makes the perfect Halloween costume.
14. The timeless classic
In the end, the little red dress remains the ultimate classic. During her final tour in 2009, Tina proved the audience that she could still pull it off at age 69. What do you think? We think it’s hot, hot, hot!
Great ! but I think the golden “Proud Mary” dress shoud be here 😉
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I think Tina wore some pretty awesome costumes when she was with Ike and the revue; with the long straight hair, and the three Ikettes. You could have showcased more of those.
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I love the small red dresses, numbers 8 and 14. These really show off her incredible figure and those infamous legs. I hold Tina in such high esteem, I think she has looked beautiful from the first ever appearances until her final stage appearances. She adapts to her age brilliantly and has always remained classy. I did also like the black version of the leather dress in the 80’s. I really don’t like 13. Although Thunderdome is one of my favourite live vocals ever and remains my favourite song of all time by any artist, designers have never captured Tina’s original film character properly on stage. The example you have shown here is my least favourite of all the incarnations of this outfit, because the hair is clearly a hat and the skin tone is completely wrong. A star of Tina’s calibre shouldn’t have these things overlooked. She was let down here and it would appear no one in her team noticed. Bravo on this article. Tina’s costumes and outfits are only one component of this amazing human being, but one which will undoubtedly be remembered by people forever.
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13 is a movie costume. She probably didn’t have much input n what the director wanted her to wear.
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Tina Turner , avec son charme, sa grâce et sa personnalité, met en valeur toutes ses tenues vestimentaires. Classe et élégance sont les qualificatifs pour la décrire. Tina you are simply the best !
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Tina Turner, with her charm, her grâce and her personality, showcases all of her clothing. Class and elegance are the adjectives to describe. Tina you are simply the best !
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I Love IT ALL 😉
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The original Foreign Affair Tour number (black pant suit with the tails) was pretty awesome too!
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Oh My Lord – How have I never seen this before??? Love the hair and of course the outfit was always great!!! Was she about 64 here? I’m guessing it was around the Brother Bear era? Thanks so much for posting x
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I love them all. But I think the one she wore from her last concert. (The golden one) and yes the famous gold frilly dress from Proud Mary. But I think all of her concert outfits are fabulous. It’s Tina Turner!
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I like most of them, not all of them. One looks like came from The Flimtstones and the one from Mad Max is ok but that head piece is horrible.
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Reblogged this on #Rhythm Real High New Rock Sensation and commented:
Everything Tina Turner did Rocked my world the clothes were not very significant in my idolization of Tina’s career but she did look good!
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I saw Tina in red leather outfit on stage in Helsinki 1982.She was full of energy and sex, Pure rock´n roll.
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THE RED DRESS #14. It accents her million dollar legs very very Beautiful.
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#10 I had the fantastic luck of seeing Tina in her wildest dream tour front row center and she is simply the BEST!
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Simplemente a mejor,bellaaaa
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Dress number 9 wasn’t used in 1993. It was (probably) the same fabric, but a different model.
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Thanks for pointing that out Elle 😊
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Oh yes, it was. I saw Tina in 1993 in Mainz Airfield, Germany in that dress and the shorter hair.
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Sei +++GRANDE+++
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I THINK THIS IS A GREAT LADY,NO MATTER WHAT SHE WARES, THERE IS NO GREATER ENTERTAINER . TINA IS THE QUEEN NO MATTER WHAT OTHER MIGHT THINK. KEEP LIVING, LOVING, AND HAVING FUN.
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I first saw in 1990 life has never been the same since what a lady always look great
in whatever she wares . White shirt and blue jeans so simple but so sexy .
Rock on Tina !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Who designed the Winged outfit that was in red and gold? Plus who designed the outfits in the Private Dancer tour, especially when she sang Private Dancer, the boa and the beaded leather dress or feathered dress, or the black top with red satin skirt?
Thanks
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Warrior Woman dress was not part of her wardrobe in Wildenrath 1993. She had a dress of the same fabric, but a different model.
She was wearing a belt, but it fell off during a high note. I can mail a picture, if you want. I will do in FB.
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É tão bela no seu jeito de ser que as roupas são o que menos somam. Simplesmente a amo.
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..PIC Number 9 : Not ALAÏA..!…It’ s SIMON AZOULAY outfit…!…Thank you…!..Kisss from Paris…
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Nossa ela de vermelho tava muito linda e ainda aos 69 anos uma coroa enxuta e linda hummmmm diva das divas eterna rainha de todos os tempos. Beijão pra você tina Turner .
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