Few living artists truly deserve the word “incomparable”—but for Björk, it’s perhaps the most fitting description. Everything from her music to her general views on life or quirky, very Icelandic-seeming obsessions (with bugs and glaciers, as two examples) make her a standout, and, in our humble opinion, a lovely and offbeat diamond in the rough. It’s only fitting then that Björk’s sense of style is nothing short of inimitable in all of its avant-garde glory. Below, we break down eight of our favorite looks from the beloved icon.
1. That one time she was (kind of) basic
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
First thing’s first—while Björk might have dominated her own intriguing brand of weird, she, like the rest of us, has her basic moments. Here, we see her playing some sort of flute-like instrument while embracing the ever-trendy off-the-shoulder top with millennial pink ruffles. She’s actually hitting just about every trend we’re really into at the moment. This is to say, Björk knows how to blend in (but still look fab) when need be.
2. The cover of Post
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
One of Björk’s most infamous album covers, that for Post, features a photo taken by Björk’s ex-boyfriend, French director Stéphane Sednaoui. The image highlights Björk’s interest in Japanese aesthetics, although it was actually taken on the streets of London. Iceland’s not exactly known for its sunshine, making Björk’s pale skin (which beautifully contrasts the bright neon backdrop) a nice touch, not only to this look but across the board in her imagery.
3. The time she let her hair take the show
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Björk knows that a snatched hair-do in itself is enough to create a lewk, as seen here in a photo that serves as a precursor to Miley Cyrus‘ multi-bun, alien-esque hairstyle circa the days of her twerking on Robin Thicke. Björk’s outfit is far from eye-grabbing, but the top of her head is enough to show that this chick knows what she’s doing.
4. When she reminded us she can also do high-fashion and demure
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Similar to her “basic” outfit (above), it’s worth remembering that Björk can have a fairly high-fashion and demure look when she so chooses. Her style here is clean and dignified, accompanied by a serious blowout. While she might spend a lot of her time covering herself with intricate, bug-inspired masks, here’s proof that the Icelandic sensation also knows how to serve face.
5. Her intimate look in the music video for “Hunter”
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Bald (or nearly) is beautiful, as showcased in the past by Natalie Portman, Amber Rose, Cate Blanchet, etc. In her video for “Hunter,” one of Björk’s lesser-known singles, the beauty dawns a shaved head (or more likely a bald cap) as she slowly transforms into some sort of monstrous, robotic lion. Presumably naked, it’s perhaps Bjork’s most intimate look—but, being the Björk that she is, it’s also really bizarre.
6. Her iconic “Enjoy Cock” tee
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Because of how highly-esteemed her work is amongst academics and true music enthusiasts, it’s often forgotten that Björk has a sense of humor. The iconic “Enjoy Cock” tee is proof enough, not only that the girl can be light and playful, but also that she was wearing ironic, hipster-esque apparel long before the rest of us caught up. And also, that she loves the D.
7. Yes, the swan dress
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Of course, there is no way to write a Björk style roundup without including the INFAMOUS swan dress, one of the singer’s most hated-on attires. Truthfully, it shouldn’t have been such a big deal—like, big whoop. There’s a mock dead bird hanging from your neck. It’s a pretty genius method of blending Björk’s obsession with nature and animals with her extraordinary style.
8. Her facemasks
2px); width:calc(100% 2px);”>
Björk has been dawning facemasks for the past few years, going so far as to have 3D works printed custom to fit her mug. Not enough time has passed for them to get cast into the cannon of her iconic aesthetical phases, but it’s safe to say that this is what people will think back on when discussing Björk during the 2010s. A great deal of the intriguing pieces are called “Rottlace” and were made in conjunction with MIT’s Mediated Matter lab and Stratasys, a manufacturer of 3D printer and products. Like anything else, Björk is lightyears ahead of us when it comes to covering ourselves up. Perfect for social anxiety, might we add.