It was in 1967 that a 21-year old Priscilla Beaulieu wed the king of rock’n’roll. Having courted her years prior, during his time in the army, Elvis Presley thrust the young ingenue into the forefront of the media when he made her his wife. Wearing a pearl-encrusted, lace-sleeved dress, rhinestone tiara and a bouffant to rival all bouffants, the couple married at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, and a style star was born.
Following six years of marriage, the couple divorced in 1973 and soon after, excited to make her own ventures in business, Priscilla opened a boutique in Beverly Hills. Along with Olivia Bis, her business partner and stylist, ‘Bis & Beau’ was a success, garnering a high-end, celebrity clientele which boasted Cher, Liza Minelli and Natalie Wood as returning customers. The shop was closed just three years later.
By this time, Presley had shed the 1960s rocker wife apparel for a more bohemian élan, typical of the 1970s. Flared trousers, embroidered waistcoats and Stevie Nicks-esque floaty dresses became recurring features in her wardrobe. It was at this time that Presley let down her stacked beehive ‘do and instead set her coiffed waves free.
Her next makeover came in the following decade. Presley, now appearing regularly in film and television, switched up her look for an exuberantly 1980s appeal. Jumpsuits in the day and then ruffled and sequinned gowns in the evening were her routine. Moving into the the 1990s, Presley started to experiment with more androgynous silhouettes in favour of the feminine staples people were used to seeing her in. Boxy, tailored jackets and suiting were becoming a mainstay for the actress.
Throughout the 21st century, Presley has kept up the glamour, while still maintaining menswear-inspired influences. At the Met Gala she arrived on the arm of Austin Butler who plays her former husband in the biopic. For the event, she donned head-to-toe Prada silk with a thick headband reminiscent of her 1960s hair, which has has become a source of inspiration for the likes of Lily Collins and Lana del Rey.
A few weeks later she wowed the crowds once again, this time at Cannes Film Festival to promote the film. Standing out against the stunning backdrop of French Riviera, Presley oozed movie-star glamour in a baroque-inspired Versace print blouse. This style queen truly never stopped rockin’.
