Freddie Mercury's fantastical 'It's A Hard Life' video outfit, 1984

Freddie Mercury's fantastical 'It's A Hard Life' video outfit, 1984

The flamboyant outfit, affectionately known as ‘The Prawn’, designed by Michael Baldwin and cut and tailored by Natasha Korniloff, comprising:

An asymmetrical scarlet elastane catsuit, the right side and arm of intricate red lacing, the left side with long sleeve, the stirrup legs with diagonal pleats overall in a vein-like pattern, the torso embellished with thirteen ‘eyeballs’ of white plastic hand-painted in black and brown surrounded by red velvet ‘eyelids’ with hand-drawn black outlines extending up the torso to the shoulder, the back with a detachable decorative ‘spine’ made of layers of different fabrics in red, black and gold cut to resemble flames, one end with a sheaf of long plumes worn at the left shoulder including peacock and ostrich

Two matching cuffs, the larger right-hand cuff with pointed end resembling a gauntlet, decorated with an ‘eyeball’ and panels of red glitter edged with gold elastic on a satin ground, edged in padded red velvet, the left-hand cuff with an ‘eyeball’ on red satin ground edged with red velvet, both with Velcro fastenings

Two lower leg adornments each with a row of six ‘eyeballs’ on a red lurex ground edged in gold braid, the reverse cut to resemble a vertical row of four flames with ‘silver’ tips of fabric resembling fish scales concealing the Velcro fastening, trimmed at the top and bottom with padded red velvet

Three long black wigs, each with black hair pins to interior mesh head cap, all unlabelled; worn during sequences when the decorative ‘spine’ and plumes are not used

(qty 9)

This remarkable costume, amongst others, was re-used for the flashback sequences in ‘The Great Pretender’ promotional video, 1987 (see lot 222) where original footage from ‘It’s A Hard Life’ is intercut with new footage of Freddie wearing this costume singing ‘The Great Pretender’.

Diana Moseley, who has previously been mis-credited with the design of this costume, recently confirmed the designer as Michael Baldwin, and the maker as Natasha Korniloff, who also made the red sequin short-legged stage suit in lot 52.

LITERATURE

Freddie Mercury, The Great Pretender, A Life In Pictures, Welbeck Publishing, 2012, p. 99 (illus.)

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