Mickey Rourke (37 page)

T
HE FANCY FOOTWEAR HE CHOSE TO WEAR IN THE STARK SURROUNDINGS WHERE HE WAS RESEARCHING HIS
R
USSIAN VILLAIN ROLE IN
IRON MAN 2
WAS TYPICAL OF HIS FLAIR FOR OUT-OF-PLACE OUTFITS.
F
ROM THE JAILS OF
R
USSIA TO THE RED CARPETS OF
H
OLLYWOOD,
M
ICKEY CAN ALWAYS BE RELIED UPON TO WEAR SOMETHING WEIRD BUT SOMEHOW WONDERFUL.
F
ASHION IS A PASSION AND HE HAS DEVELOPED A STYLE WHICH IS UNIQUELY
M
ICKEY.
M
ANY MAY LAUGH AT HIS MADCAP ENSEMBLES BUT
M
ICKEY IS HIS OWN MAN AND LOVES HIS FLAMBOYANT LOOK.

A
ND
M
ICKEY’S AWARENESS OF CONTROLLING HIS IMAGE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND HIS CHOICE OF ATTIRE.
M
ICKEY NOW TUCKS HIS LEFT HAND INTO THE WAISTBAND OF HIS TROUSERS WHENEVER HE’S HAVING HIS PICTURE TAKEN ON A RED CARPET.
I
T’S A MOVE WHICH HAS BECOME AS MUCH A SIGNATURE POSE FOR HIM AS
V
ICTORIA
B
ECKHAM’S “
P
OSH” POUT OR
P
ARIS
H
ILTON STANDING WITH ONE HAND ON HER HIP.

W
HEN HE STARTED DOING IT AT THE
J
ANUARY 2009 AWARDS SHOWS, IT JUST LOOKED WEIRD AND MAYBE MORE SUITED TO A ROCK STAR, BUT SINCE THEN THE CONFIDENT, CASUAL GESTURE HAS BECOME AN ACCEPTED PART OF THE WHOLE ECCENTRIC
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE LOOK.
A
FTER ALL THESE YEARS OF BEING PHOTOGRAPHED, HE KNOWS HIS BEST ANGLE AND THE HAND DOWN THE PANTS IS THE FAMILIAR POSE HE STRIKES WHEN READY TO SHOW OFF HIS LATEST FASHION ENSEMBLE TO THE BEST EFFECT.

* * *

T
HIS STRUTTING PEACOCK OF A STAR CERTAINLY MAKES THE MOST OF A VARIETY OF FASHION TRADEMARKS, INCLUDING THE EVER PRESENT CHAIN, BIG OPEN-NECK SHIRTS, UNBUTTONED CUFFS, CRAZY JACKETS, FEMININE SCARVES, SHINY SUITS, TINTED SHADES, AND FANCY SHOES.

W
HILE MOST MEN HAVE ONLY A FEW PAIRS OF SHOES, AND USUALLY IN ONLY BLACK OR BROWN,
M
ICKEY IS THE MALE VERSION OF
I
MELDA
M
ARCOS AND HAS COUNTLESS COLORFUL PAIRS, INCLUDING SOME ESPECIALLY STRIKING ONES IN METALLIC ORANGE, SHINY GOLD-AND-SILVER TRAINERS, AND A PAIR OF BURGUNDY VELVET SLIPPERS.
H
IS FAVORITE SHOE DESIGNERS ARE
J
EAN-
M
ICHEL
C
AZABAT AND
R
OBERTO
C
AVALLI.

W
HEN ONE OF HIS HUGELY OVERWEIGHT SUITCASES WAS EXAMINED AT
L
ONDON’S
H
EATHROW
A
IRPORT IN
F
EBRUARY 2009, IT WAS FOUND TO BE FULL OF NOTHING BUT SHOES.
O
FFICIALS FIRST THOUGHT HE MUST HAVE PUT HIS HEAVY
B
RITISH
A
CADEMY
A
WARD IN THERE, AS HE WAS ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE
S
TATES AFTER THE
BAFTA
AWARD CEREMONY, BUT, INSTEAD, THE 36-KG WEIGHT WAS CAUSED BY THE FORTY PAIRS OF SHOES HE HAD PACKED FOR HIS EIGHT-DAY TRIP.
M
ICKEY WAS MADE TO REDISTRIBUTE HIS FOOTWEAR AMONG OTHER CASES BEFORE HE WAS CLEARED FOR TRAVEL.

H
E WEARS PLENTY OF BLING ON HIS FINGERS – SOMETIMES SPORTING FOUR RINGS AT A TIME – AND EVEN HAS SOME IN HIS MOUTH, COURTESY OF A TOOTH CAPPED IN GOLD.

M
ICKEY WEARS SUNGLASSES AND TINTED SPECTACLES EVERYWHERE, but that may have less to do with fashion choice and more to do with him having conjunctivitis. He got the condition, also known as pink-eye, from all the Vaseline and leather gloves slamming into his eyes during the boxing years and it tends to reappear when he gets his make-up done for movies. He is often seen sporting Sama’s Press sunglasses but also likes Loree Rodkin and classic Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

M
ICKEY’S OUTFITS MAY LOOK LIKE A HAPHAZARD SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, STRANGE CHOICES PUT TOGETHER OFF THE CUFF, JUST LIKE HIS AWARD ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES, BUT A LOT OF THOUGHT GOES INTO EACH ENSEMBLE.
E
VEN MORE THOUGHT SINCE HE STARTED EMPLOYING A STYLIST.
M
ICHAEL
F
ISHER WAS HIRED BY
F
OX
S
EARCHLIGHT TO STYLE
M
ICKEY DURING
THE WRESTLER
’S ATTENTION-GRABBING PRESS AND PUBLICITY TOUR, BUT THEN REMAINED WITH THE STAR DURING AWARDS SEASON AND BEYOND.
O
NCE
M
ICKEY REALIZED
M
ICHAEL WAS WILLING TO HELP HIM EXPRESS HIS OWN STYLE, RATHER THAN IMPOSE RADICALLY DIFFERENT IDEAS, A THRIVING PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WAS BORN.

F
ISHER, WHO HAS WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT TO ACE PHOTOGRAPHER
A
NNIE
L
EIBOVITZ AND LEADING STYLIST
R
ACHEL
Z
OE AND PROVIDED FASHION TIPS TO THE LIKES OF
B
EYONCÉ
K
NOWLES AND
K
ATE
H
UDSON, TWEAKED HIS CLIENT’S LOOK WITH ADDITIONS AND IDEAS, WHILE STILL KEEPING IT INNATELY
M
ICKEY.
T
HEY BOTH WANTED THE CLOTHES
M
ICKEY WORE TO BE AS DRAMATIC AND MEMORABLE AS HIS PERFORMANCE IN
THE WRESTLER
.
T
HE FIRST THING
M
ICKEY SAID TO HIM WAS, “
I
’M NOT
G
EORGE
C
LOONEY AND
I
’M NEVER GOING TO BE
G
EORGE
C
LOONEY,” A REFERENCE TO
C
LOONEY’S PRIDING HIMSELF ON HAVING WORN THE SAME
C
ALVIN
K
LEIN TUXEDO TO
H
OLLYWOOD EVENTS FOR YEARS.

T
HE PLAY SAFE OPTION OF SMART BLACK SUIT WITH A WHITE SHIRT AS FAVORED BY
C
LOONEY AND COUNTLESS OTHER ACTORS WAS NEVER GOING TO BE FOR HIM.
M
ICKEY TAKES RISKS IN HIS FASHION CHOICES JUST AS HE DOES IN HIS ROLES.
T
HAT STRATEGY PAID OFF, WITH REBEL
M
ICKEY’S RED CARPET SELECTIONS GETTING AS MUCH IF NOT MORE ATTENTION THAN ANYTHING WORN BY ACTRESSES DURING THE 2009 AWARDS SEASON.
H
IS BUTCH, BIZARRE, BUT BRILLIANT OUTFITS BROUGHT A KIND OF DISHEVELED ELEGANCE TO SHOWBIZ EVENTS THAT MADE
M
ICKEY THE TALK OF THE FASHION WORLD AS WELL AS THE FILM COMMUNITY.
H
IS DASHING NEW LOOK WAS VARIOUSLY DESCRIBED AS “
M
IAMI DANDY,” “
M
ODERN
M
USKETEER,” “
S
ALVADOR
D
ALI CREEPY,” “WACKY AND TACKY,” “
T
OAD OF
T
OAD
H
ALL,” AND “STOLEN FROM A
C
IRQUE DU
S
OLEIL PERFORMER.”
C
RUELER CRITICS SUGGESTED THE CLOTHES WERE JUST A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO DISTRACT FROM WHATEVER HE HAD DONE TO HIS FACE.

H
E MAY HAVE BEEN FLYING BY THE SEAT OF HIS
D
OLCE &
G
ABBANA PANTS DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS, BUT HE WAS DEFINITELY BEING NOTICED AND, WITH THE STYLIST’S ASSISTANCE,
M
ICKEY’S LOOK CLEARLY WENT FROM A BIT OF A MESS TO KIND OF COOL.
A
S THE AWARDS SEASON EVENTS TURNED INTO AN ENDLESS PARADE OF TROPHIES FOR
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
AND
K
ATE
W
INSLET, THE ONLY TANTALIZING SUSPENSE CAME FROM THE QUESTION: WHAT WILL
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE WEAR NEXT?

M
ICKEY TENDED TO STICK TO HIS FAVORITE
E
UROPEAN DESIGNERS, WEARING
D
OLCE TO THE
BAFTA
S AND
S
CREEN
A
CTORS
G
UILD AWARDS,
B
ILLIONAIRE
C
OUTURE (OWNED BY
F
ORMULA
O
NE MOGUL
F
LAVIO
B
RIATORE) TO THE
G
OLDEN
G
LOBES,
J
EAN-
P
AUL
G
AULTIER TO THE
P
ARIS PREMIERE OF
THE WRESTLER,
AND
G
AULTIER AGAIN AT THE
O
SCARS.
H
E TEAMED ALL THESE STYLISH DESIGNER CLOTHES OF GOLD, SILVER, MIDNIGHT BLUE, AND OTHER STRIKING COLORS WITH HIS MACHO OUTLAW ACCESSORIES AND SOMEHOW PULLED IT OFF.
N
OBODY ELSE COULD WEAR such a sartorial riot of different outfits and get away with them but Mickey managed it, and became an unlikely trendsetter in the process. At the 2009 Oscars, he was the unanimous pick of fashion experts as best-dressed man thanks to his ivory Gaultier tuxedo accessorized with the pendant honoring his late dog, Loki.

S
TYLISH REBEL
M
ICKEY WAS SO EMBRACED BY THE FASHION COMMUNITY THAT HE LANDED A FRONT-ROW SEAT AT THE 2009
N
EW
Y
ORK
F
ASHION
W
EEK SHOW OF DESIGNER
D
OMENICO
V
ACCA, AN
I
TALIAN EX-LAWYER-TURNED-RED-HOT DESIGNER.
M
ICKEY SAT NEXT TO
F
OREST
W
HITAKER WHO WORE THE DESIGNER’S CLOTHES WHEN HE PICKED UP HIS
B
EST
A
CTOR
O
SCAR FOR
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

M
ICKEY WAS BACK ON THE AWARDS CIRCUIT IN 2010, USUALLY PRESENTING THE BEST ACTRESS AWARDS, AND BROUGHT HIS MAVERICK FASHION SENSE WITH HIM.
H
IS TWO MOST MEMORABLE OUTFITS WERE HIS
BAFTA
A
WARDS SELECTION – A SHINY GRAY SUIT WITH A VEST UNDERNEATH BUT NO SHIRT...OH, AND HIS HAIR IN A TOP-KNOT – AND HIS
G
OLDEN
G
LOBES CHOICE – A PUNK ROCK COWBOY TUXEDO BASED ON HIS OWN DESIGN AND MADE FOR HIM BY
S
YLVESTER
S
TALLONE’S TAILOR,
D
AVID
A
UGUST.
A
T THE
IRON MAN 2
H
OLLYWOOD PREMIERE HE WORE ANOTHER
D
AVID
A
UGUST OUTFIT, A THREE-PIECE BROWN SUIT WITH WHAT LOOKED LIKE CROCODILE PRINT ON THE LAPELS.
B
UT ANIMAL LOVER
M
ICKEY WAS KEEN TO STRESS TO REPORTERS ON THE RED CARPET THAT THE ANIMAL SKIN WASN’T REAL AND NO CREATURES HAD BEEN HARMED IN THE MAKING OF HIS OUTFIT.

M
ICKEY LIKES HIGH-END CLOTHES STORES THE WAY GAMBLERS LIKE BETTING SHOPS AND, DURING HIS MANY TRIPS TO
L
ONDON, HAS BEEN A FREQUENT VISITOR TO THE
H
ARRODS MENSWEAR DEPARTMENT AND THE TAILORS OF
S
AVILE
R
OW.
B
UT HE LIKES
I
TALIAN DESIGNERS BEST FOR THE MACHO AESTHETIC THEY BRING TO THEIR CLOTHES.

A
DDING TO THE MACHO LOOK ARE THE SEVEN TATTOOS
M
ICKEY HAS ON HIS BODY, WHICH INCLUDE AN
A
MERICAN-
I
NDIAN SYMBOL FOR STRENGTH, AN
O
RIENTAL SYMBOL FOR “SOUL AND SPIRIT,” A LEOPARD’S HEAD WITH THE
C
HINESE IDEOGRAM FOR
YEAR OF THE DRAGON,
AND ALSO THE WORDS “
C
ARRÉ
F
OREVER.”

M
ICKEY ATTRIBUTES HIS LIFELONG INTEREST IN FASHION TO BOTH HIS LATE GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS ALWAYS A SHARP DRESSER, AND HIS BACKGROUND IN
M
IAMI, A TRENDSETTING CITY WHERE FLAMBOYANT STYLES WERE COMMONPLACE.
A
FTER LEAVING SCHOOL, HE DID TOY WITH THE IDEA OF STUDYING EITHER FASHION OR INTERIOR DESIGN BUT HIS POOR ACADEMIC RESULTS MADE A COLLEGE PLACE UNLIKELY AND HE INSTEAD HUNG OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS AND DRESSED IN AS COOL A WAY AS HE COULD.
H
IS PRIDE AND JOY BACK THEN WAS A PAIR OF HANDMADE PLATFORM SHOES IN BLACK AND PINK.
M
ICKEY STANDS JUST UNDER 6 FT TALL BUT IN THOSE CRAZY THINGS HE LOOKED 6 FT-5 IN.

A
ROUND 1973, HIS ABSOLUTE FASHION ICON WAS
D
AVID
B
OWIE AND
M
ICKEY WOULD DRESS LIKE THE GLAM-ROCK HERO IN STACK-HEELED BOOTS, TIGHT LEATHER TROUSERS, AND CUT-OFF SHIRTS.
T
HE
Z
IGGY
S
TARDUST WANNABE EVEN HAD GREEN HAIR AT ONE POINT.
W
HEN THE PAIR BECAME FRIENDS YEARS LATER, THE POP STAR WAS THRILLED TO HEAR HE HAD BEEN SUCH AN INFLUENCE ON
M
ICKEY’S LIFE.

M
ICKEY LOVED
D
AVID’S MUSIC AS WELL AS HIS OUTFITS.
B
OWIE THOUGHT HIS FRIEND HAD SOME MUSICAL SKILLS OF HIS OWN AND EVEN LET HIM PERFORM ON ONE OF HIS RECORDS.
M
ICKEY CAN BE HEARD PERFORMING A RAP DUET WITH
D
AVID IN THE TRACK “
S
HINING
S
TAR (
M
AKIN’
M
Y
L
OVE)” ON THE 1987
B
OWIE ALBUM
NEVER LET ME DOWN
.

A
ROUND THAT TIME,
M
ICKEY HAD DEVELOPED A PARTICULAR LOOK OF HIS OWN WHICH MADE HIM A STYLE ICON AROUND THE WORLD – THE BLACK SUNGLASSES, THE CIGARETTE DROOPING FROM HIS LIPS, THE UNKEMPT HAIR, THE STUBBLE, STYLISH JACKETS, AND BLACK
T
-SHIRTS – IT WAS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE AND COOL.
T
HINGS FELL APART A LITTLE IN THE BOXING YEARS: THE ENDLESS HOODIES AND GYM PANTS HE WORE BACK THEN WERE FAR FROM GLAMOROUS.
B
UT THEN HIS MIND WAS CLEARLY MUCH MORE ON FIGHTS THAN FASHION.

I
N THE WILDERNESS YEARS, POST-BOXING AND PRE-COMEBACK, HE SPENT MUCH OF HIS TIME PUMPING IRON AND HANGING OUT WITH BODYBUILDERS AT
G
OLD’S
G
YM IN
V
ENICE,
C
ALIFORNIA, AND HIS SWEAT-SOAKED FASHIONS OF THE TIME REFLECTED THE COMPANY HE WAS KEEPING RATHER THAN THE MOVIE STAR HE ASPIRED TO BECOME AGAIN.
H
E LOOKED MORE LIKELY TO ROB A LIQUOR STORE THAN STEAL SCENES IN A MAJOR MOVIE.
L
ITTLE WONDER THAT AGENT
D
AVID
U
NGER ORDERED HIM TO LOSE THE GYM CLOTHES AND SMARTEN UP AS PART OF THE CAREER COMEBACK STRATEGY FOR HIS CLIENT.