With hit singles including “I’m Like a Bird,” “Turn Off the Light” and “On the Radio,” Nelly Furtado was one of the top pop acts of the early 2000s — and soon became as famous for her eclectic Y2K style as for her trip-hop sound.
“My hoop earrings and my two little Princess Leia buns were my calling card that connected me to my fans. I definitely had to fight for those things quite often,” the “Keep Going Up” singer told Page Six Style.
“My first photoshoots, I would always pack a little carry-on with my raver flatform sneakers, my bell-bottoms, little tank tops and hoop earrings, just in case I didn’t get along with the stylist or the photographer and didn’t like anything they brought.”
And while Furtado says she still appreciates an “irreverent” outfit — “I am known to put things together that you wouldn’t think would normally go together, colors and styles and fabrics,” she shares — her personal style’s become “a little more pulled-together” in the years since.
Below, the Grammy winner looks back at a few of her most iconic fashion moments from the early aughts.
2001: MTV VMAs
“This really sweet girl named Vera and her friend, they had this clothing company called Sta? — they were upcycling before everyone, taking old fabric and vintage clothing and refurbishing them into new outfits.
“They made me this custom look for the VMAs, because we wanted a bit of an elevated, more pulled-together take on the style I had at the time. I feel like she went a little punk rock, skater with this look; there are a few things I didn’t normally wear, like the waist chain, the little gloves and the collar. I wasn’t wearing a lot of collared shirts then.
“Those low-waist jeans are so Y2K! And I like that we went for a big-girl shoe. We didn’t wear sneakers; we went with some kind of formal flip-flop situation.”
2001: “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” premiere
“This is actually a designer from the Portuguese island of Madeira; there were these women who did this artisanal embroidery called bordado, so it’s actually a very Portuguese look. I’m definitely representing here!
“This was my favorite belly chain — I wish I still had it — and I’ve always loved these midriff-baring [styles]. I had Puma sneakers; I used to travel with a cardboard box full of Pumas.
“And the Tiffany chain bracelet! I think it might have had my name on the heart.”
2001: VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards
“I remember someone roasted me and said I was wearing socks and no shoes — but really, those are boots that look like I’m wearing socks! I think they’re D&G, if I remember correctly.
“I think Sta? made this dress for me, and I actually like it a lot. I’ve noticed a lot of these asymmetrical hemlines are back again.
“I wore my hair slicked back a lot; my makeup artist, Colleen Creighton — who I worked with for so many years — was always coming up with these striking makeup and hair looks for me in the aughts.”
2001: World Music Awards
“Whenever I’d have a bigger function, like a red carpet, I would take my stage look of jeans, tank tops and sneakers and just kind of elevate it a little bit. See? I put on gold sneakers because it’s special!
“Those pants are so low-waisted — how did I wear those?! I could never wear those now. I have no clue how I sat down in them.
“Something that was also part of my signature look, [along] with the hoop earrings, was the wristbands. I have kept all my old wristbands; they came in every color.”
2006: MTV European Music Awards Copenhagen
“So I’m in Copenhagen for the MTV Awards, and I know I have to perform ‘Maneater’ — I’ve been preparing it for weeks, we’ve been rehearsing a lot, it’s a really epic performance — and I put this Dsquared2 gunmetal gown on that’s got cutouts in the back. You have to be taped into it!
“I knew right away that the stakes were high and that wearing the dress would get my synapses firing; I’d be even more present and focused on my performance. So I chose this dress intentionally, because it was so risky to wear.
“And then I thought, how great would it be to have these airbrushed tattoos on my arms? So we decided to do these faux tattoos for the performance, which was quite edgy.
“I liked this dress so much that I got an identical one in black to wear on tour. It was so hard to tape me into it when I only had two minutes to change!”
