Despite now being deemed a major fashion icon, according to Ramos, Franklin didn’t think about style in the same way that many of her contemporaries did. Ramos says that, unlike Diana Ross, Franklin wasn’t loyal to certain brands, trends, or signature looks. “Aretha used clothing to express her emotions, her politics, her faith,” he says. She wore her clothes the way she wanted to, in a way that allowed her to express herself.” So it’s no wonder that Hudson, fully committed to this role, would use her costumes in Respect to tap into the icon’s greatest asset: a range without rival.
By: Eliza Huber
