Estelle Used ‘Dynasty’ as Reference for ‘Empire’ Look
Next Wednesday, Estelle makes her debut on the hot new hip-hop drama Empire. The “American Boy” singer, who released her album True Romance last week, took some time to consider her look for the show.
"When I went to do Empire they told me that I should be grand and extra and I saw the furs and I was like, ‘Oooh,’” Estelle told Radio.com. “And I’m kinda glad I didn’t wear it because when you see Cookie — the lead character — that’s her whole swag.”
Cookie, portrayed by Taraji Henson, has sparked attention for her no-holds barred disposition and her wardrobe. Estelle, who performs her song “Conqueror” with Empire cast member Jussie Smollett, was told to use the extravagant, 1980s primetime soap Dynasty as a reference point. “I chose to go in really draped, long pieces,” she explained. “This really, really sparkly dress and sparkly necklace.”
At the time of the filming, Estelle was wearing her hair long. Since opting for a shorter style, she realized that the different hair lengths evoked different interaction with people, and this ultimately had an impact on her album. “The entire album is based on how I felt and how I feel,” she said. “So when I had the hair, I was in a particularly softer phase of my life. I was like, ‘Let me see what longish hair looks like.’ I can, so I did. People’s general approach to me was softer when I had longer hair. It was funny to me. But the feel was more girly, more womanly. More True Romance in the total sense of the word. So I when I was making the album that was the space I was in, so I just stayed there. I didn’t wear flowers, but I definitely stayed with the curly hair, and took it blonder, blonder, and blonder, and it was fun.”
Empire airs at 9/8 c on Fox.
