Melanie Martinez came into the public eye as a contestant on Season Three of NBC’s singing competition program “The Voice.” From her early days as a reality TV contestant, Martinez was known for her camp style, which often involved lace, bows, bright colors and patterns.
While her music and fashion sense has made her well known, she’s also ventured into the fragrance industry. In 2016, she launched Cry Baby Perfume Milk, which sold out and has gone for up to $2,000 on resale sites. In November, she released her second fragrance, Portals Parfums.
Here, WWD takes a closer look at some of Martinez’s most notable fashion moments.
“The Voice,” 2012
Martinez appeared on Season Three of NBC’s “The Voice,” catapulting her into the public eye. For one of her red carpet appearances, she wore sheer black tights, a black lace dress, and a half blonde half brunette wig with a bow on it, reminiscent of Sia. The camp ensemble was a prelude to what her fans would come to expect from Martinez’s style.
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” Premiere, 2013
Martinez attended the premiere of “American Horror Story: Freak Show” taking a colorful, anime-inspired approach to style. She wore a pale peach dress with pearl embroidery on the skirt and a pattern of embroidered jewels, like diamonds and rubies, on it. For footwear, she selected light pink quilted platform heels. She dyed half her hair blue and wore it in a Japanese odongo style, made popular by the famous anime series “Sailor Moon” and the title character of the show.
Perez Hilton’s One Night in Austin, 2015
At the 2015 SXSW festival in Austin, Martinez attended media personality Perez Hilton’s One night in Austin event. She wore a baby-inspired outfit, as she donned a sheer shirt with pink trim that said “Crybaby”, a pastel blue skirt emblazoned with colorful oversize safety pins and a beige coat with blue fur trim with stuffed animal bunnies attached. She completed the look with pink fur-trim heeled sandals.
The Creators Party, 2016
At the 2016 Creators Party presented by Spotify, Martinez was pretty in pink channeling Barbiecore long before Barbiecore was even a trend. She wore a dress with a powder blue corset top, a lace pink max, pairing the ensemble with a pink faux fur stole. For accessories, she carried a stuffed lamb, in a look seemingly inspired by Bo Peep from “Toy Story.” She dyed half her hair pink to complete the avant garde ensemble.
“K-12″ Film Premiere,” 2017
For the 2017 premiere of the film “K-12,” Martine arrived in a pink and green ensemble with a dress featuring puff sleeves, a corset bodice and an opulent tiered ruffle skirt in a silhouette of an upside down hoop skirt. She had her dyed half brunette and half blonde for the occasion.
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, 2021
The singer took to the stage as one of the acts for the 2021 Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco. Her outfit for a performance drew inspiration from ballerina, as she sported a dress with a pink corset top and a tiered ruffle tutu skirt. The outfit was complemented by statement spike shoulder pads and pink tiered fabric boots.
Sirius XM Radio, 2023
In 2023, Martinez became known for cat-style masks with two sets of eyes. To promote her album “Portals” at Sirius XM Radio, she channeled wood nymph inspiration wearing a green foliage cutout dress that appeared like it was literally made of tree moss. She completed the look with heels with statement flower accents on them.
Madrid, 2023
At a recent concert in Madrid, Martinez again donned her cat-style mask, this time seemingly drawing inspiration from “Batman” character Poison Ivy. She wore a green bra with bow accents and green parachute pants with pleated bands and foliage-style trim. She wore a green wig to complete the costume look.
