Freddie Mercury's 'Made In Heaven' video outfit designed by Diana Moseley, 1985

Freddie Mercury's 'Made In Heaven' video outfit designed by Diana Moseley, 1985

The flamboyant outfit designed by Diana Moseley, made by Ken White, comprising:

A black asymmetrical vinyl bodice with one left sleeve ending in a point and fastening at the wrist with vinyl straps, the front covered with diagonal lines of black stitching with long straps to tie around the waist, referred to by Diana and Freddie as ‘the spider pants’

A black vinyl cuff for the right wrist decorated with four pyramid-shaped white metal studs, fastening with three buckled straps

Two pairs of red elastane leggings appliquéd overall with black elastane ‘ribbon’ in a vein-like pattern, with red belt loops to waist

A voluminous red Habutai silk cape designed to be worn diagonally across the back, gathered at the neck and trimmed with red jersey fabric, with long straps wrapping under the arms and around the torso to fasten, the cape approx. 355cm. long

A red satin cummerbund with long tie fastenings and three red satin straps (cummerbund and ties not seen - possibly unrelated to this costume)

(qty 8)

Freddie Mercury’s passion for ballet was allowed free rein in the spectacular promotional video, directed by David Mallett, for his third solo single ‘Made In Heaven’, released in July 1985. Freddie drew inspiration from two ballets, Dante’s Inferno and Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring. A North London warehouse was transformed for the shoot into a replica of the London Opera House’s proscenium stage where Freddie presides as ‘the king of the world’ elevated 67 ft above the ground on a simulated hilltop (which later breaks open to reveal a spinning globe) where, anchored with safety wires, he uses the voluminous cape to full effect. 

The leggings belonging to this outfit are similar to those worn by Freddie on stage in 1982 with his black leather arrow jacket (see lot 56). Diana Moseley did not design these earlier leggings but used them as a template for the ones included here.

LITERATURE

Freddie Mercury, The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures, Welbeck, 2012, pp. 115 – 117 & 136 (illus.)

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