Hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when Madonna wasn’t Madonna. Before we got “Into Her Groove” or made her our “Lucky Star” (I could do this all day), she was a newbie pop star writhing her way onto the scene. Officially billed as a supporting role of 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan to Rosanna Arquette, her sass made her the indisputable star.

On Saturday, January 23 the Hollywood Theatre indulges the design community with another installment of the Fashion in Film series (curated by myself and fashion friend Marjorie Skinner) with the Madonna vehicle. While IMDB (who must pride themselves on brevity) describes the plot as, “A bored suburban housewife, seeking adventure to her life, accidentally gets hit on the head, wakes up with amnesia, and is mistaken for a free-spirited New York City drifter named Susan.” 

However I would say that is woefully lacking in the amount of hijinks, shenanigans, fingerless gloves, layers of lace, bows, big earrings, polka dots, sunglasses, and so many more things. This film is the apex of 80s fashion. The audience member who pulls of the most Madonna look will be given an as-yet-to-be-determined-but-sure-to-be-awesome prize. So chop the fingers off those gloves, crimp that hair; it’s time to “Express Yourself.”

Fashion in Film Presents
Desperately Seeking Susan
Saturday, January 23, 7 pm
The Hollywood Theatre