Jacket, 1996–97. Designed by Alexander McQueen in collaboration with David Bowie, using distressed fabric. Worn by David Bowie on the Earthling album and tour, 1996–97. Collection of David Bowie.

A section on "Icons" featured Elvis Presley and the Beatles, a tribute to the founders of rock 'n' roll who merged music from gospel, country, and the blues. These artists modeled themselves after one another, and on the raw power of black singers and musicians. Highlights in this section were the gold lamé suit worn by Elvis in 1957, and the jackets in vivid pink, yellow-green, blue, and red satin that were worn by the Beatles on the cover of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and that were reunited for this exhibition.

Superstars defined by their ability to hold a crowd in their sway appeared in the third gallery, "Brilliant Disguise." Superstars have had a definitive impact on the creation of fashion fads and trends. David Bowie's character of Ziggy Stardust, along with the Spiders from Mars, unleashed a fashion genie that never retreated. By the early seventies, it was not enough to go onstage and just play music. Sound, lights, choreography, and, later, video became key elements of the concert experience. A performer's dress, designed as an integral part of a concert experience, can mesmerize an audience, as was evidenced by examples in the exhibition worn by Mick Jagger, Bono, Michael Jackson, Grace Jones, Björk, TLC, and Janet Jackson. The stage persona that is created can become so dominant that the performer may even be reluctant to be seen out of character or without makeup.

"Rebels" in rock music—the subject of the fourth gallery of "Rock Style"—have now become almost mainstream. The black leather jacket is viewed as the seminal item of clothing that has spawned the most loyalty as a universal symbol in rock-'n'-roll fashion. Even punks, Goths, and heavy metal fans are slaves to fashion, albeit anti-fashion—they use dress to create a bond with one another and to induce a level of tension between themselves and the public. This section encompassed clothing ranging from a shirt of black leather and snakeskin worn by Lou Reed and Alice Cooper's leopard-skin boots to other outfits worn by Rod Stewart, Courtney Love, Sid Vicious, and Steven Tyler.

The final section of the exhibition, "High Style," demonstrated how the media and popular culture convene to sell images to an insatiable fashion public. During the early eighties, for instance, Elton John and Cher linked up with designer Bob Mackie to embellish their stage presence. Madonna and others eventually flocked to haute couture designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Gianni Versace, Thierry Mugler, and Giorgio Armani to cement their places in fashion history. These alliances between celebrity designers and rock stars have created a powerful force in the fashion industry. Clothing worn by Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, the Supremes, Ray Charles, Lauryn Hill, James Brown, and Sean "Puffy" Combs further illustrated this point.