It was only right that it was Chappell Roan who inducted the legendary Cyndi Lauper into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame.
The pop star began the evening on the red carpet at the historic awards show in Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater, dressed in a look that paid tribute to two outfits from Lauper’s iconic “True Colors” music video.
Styled by Genesis Webb, Roan wore a custom newspaper skirt made from dynamic strips of broadsheets, with wide Rococo-esque hips. It was designed by Efrain Nava. Roan also wore an opulent, glittering custom headpiece like one Lauper wore in another “True Colors” visual scene, reimagined and designed by Manny Robertson—the back of the headgear featured a sweet Cyndi Lauper collage. Her sparkling bustier and jewelry were sourced from eBay, and she wore knotted metallic gold Louboutins. Glam, as always, was maximalist, with makeup by Dee Carrion that reveled in the “True Colors” tones, and newspaper-printed nails. Her auburn hair was teased into soft curls by Jacob Aaron around the halo-like head-art.
Skirt designer Nava, who has a namesake fashion brand called E.I.N.III, has created multiple tour and red carpet looks for Roan, including a stoned red football shirt and the “Good Luck Babe”-esque Grammys after-party gown.
Both Nava and Robertson worked together and constructed the pieces in 48 hours. They deduced that the original headpiece used tin ornaments, which are hard to come by—and they were on a timecrunch. Instead, they sheet cut aluminium, then used damping tools to shape the sheets into domes. They speculated that the original piece’s base was also made out of cardboard, keeping it light, but Robertson instead used a sturdy foam core base, lined with a tight weave wire mesh for stability. “We made a three-part mechanism to affix it under the back of the occipital lobe, under the chin strap, and a million pins,” says Nava.
The skirt was a true “labor of love.” “Cutting newspaper took the longest,” says Nava. “I really wanted to make the newspaper inform the news of today, articles about things that Chappell and I both care about.” On the hip there was news about the rainforest, on the rear, a section from a piece about Tim Curry. “The front of the skirt specifically says ‘stay informed California,’ as we go through grueling times with the state of the country,” adds Nava. “I included articles about trans athletes and the Palisades fire.” The skirt used around nine full-length newspapers, glued into place. An underlayer mimics feather work, with the longer pieces exposed to create a fluttering movement. Nava’s voluminous works are inspired by studying biology in college, and in particular, birds’s fluffy feathers that catch air as they fly.
“Cyndi really stood up for us queer people,” Nava continues. “She put us at the forefront...so this was also a way for me to honor her virtue. I would also love to say the biggest thanks to Genesis Webb. She always involves me in such iconic moments in Chappell history, and I can’t be more grateful.” Nava and Webb first worked together as assistants under Nicola Formichetti. “Our friendship has stayed strong which is hard in this sort of industry. I am so grateful to her!” Webb discussed the look’s wider storytelling, and the importance of enmeshing the two looks from the “True Colors” video.
Dressed the part, Roan later took to the stage to pay tribute to “the amazingly fabulous Cyndi Lauper” with a touching speech.
“It’s that courage that not only creates incredible art, it gives everyone who experiences it the permission to be themselves. It opens their hearts, it changes their minds, and that is its power. Tonight we honor a woman who redefined what a pop star could look like, sound like, sing like, and be,” she said of the music legend’s four decades-long career.
“Cyndi embodies every quality of an artist that I admire,” Roan continued. “She’s a born performer and a revolutionary songwriter, a forever fashion icon, and a fierce advocate and ally. And from the very beginning, she owned every ounce of who she was—the Manic Panic-ed hair, all of those rad fingerless gloves, and those unbelievably layered, dynamic, and one-of-a-kind vocals.”
Both Lauper and Roan won the best new artist Grammy award for their debut albums, and share a kinship with era-defining feminist anthems and fierce fashion.
“One of Cyndi’s most inspired songs—to me personally—was ‘True Colors,” she said. Real heads will know the personal significance for Chappell Roan, who won her first talent show performing the song and sang it during her America’s Got Talent audition.
She also noted its poignancy for the LGBTQ+ community as a song dedicated to self expression and boundless love. Roan added: “She paves the way for artists like me to freely express themselves.”
“Cyndi Lauper has shown us that you can be bold, quirky, loud, glamorous, and have any hair color you want.” Lauper herself wore a crystal-adorned black suit and her cropped, seafoam-toned pixie cut. She later performed “Time After Time” with RAYE. The iconic figure was inducted on the night alongside OutKast and Salt-N-Pepa, with Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat, honoring The White Stripes and OutKast respectively.
Not letting Lauper be the one to get away, Roan and Lauper chatted animatedly and posed together. A special—and achingly stylish—moment.
