Seven Celebrities Who Are Forever Indebted to Prince for Influencing Their Style

Traces of the one-of-a-kind artist is seen in several of his contemporaries.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Trying to name people who are influenced by Prince's style is trickier than you might think, considering the man is an absolute legend as both a musician and a fashion icon. However, Prince's out-there style was so uniquely his. It's not that surprising that others don't the chops—or courage—to pull off ostentatious purple suits, a flurry of gold chains and canes, ruffled shirts that look pulled straight out of those aging portraits of kings, and a yellow laser-cut and assless suit. These are only a couple of the singer's more daring fashion moments that made him one-of-a-kind.

Finding someone who can carry the torch of Prince's fashion legacy simply isn't possible. However, we can still see traces of his inimitable style rubbing off on some of his contemporaries.  

Lenny Kravitz

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Andre 3000

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The better-dressed half of Outkast is known for his flamboyant style and tendency to rock a cane. Prince knew how to incorporate a cane into a look better than everyone, though (see his entrance at the 2015 Grammys). Andre has said before that Prince was the greatest influence on his music. "Michael Jackson was great," the rapper told Esquire in 2014. "But Prince is heavy. When I say heavy, I mean encompassing an entire world instead of one feeling." It's clear this influence carried over to Andre 3000's style. 

Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga garners a lot of buzz for getting ridiculous with her wardrobe. The meat suit was a nice stunt; we'll give you that, Gaga. But Prince is the, err, king of making everyone in the room go slack-jawed as soon as he enters. Gaga would be right at home with Prince's zebra-print panties, his sequined suits, or his third-eye sunglasses. Let's be fair, though: Her laser cut out look doesn't hold a candle to Prince's.

Pharrell

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Janelle Monae

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The similarities to singer Janelle Monae are born out of Prince's own interest in the artist. Prince called her the best artist of 2013 and even took her on tour, where they clearly swapped wardrobe tips. The then-emerging artist took on the legend's flamboyant style, mixed in a little James Brown, and cut it all with her own undeniable sense of individuality. 

Justin Timberlake

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Young Thug

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