Ziggy Stardust (Rites of Spring Vinyl Suit)

In 1972, Bowie had said “I’m the last person to pretend that I’m a radio. I’d rather go out and be a colour television set.” Freddie Burretti’s work had characterized the early Ziggy period (and he would continue to contribute), but Kansai Yamamoto was the man responsible for the most important costumes in the Aladdin Sane portion of the Ziggy Stardust tour. One of Yamamoto’s designs, the vinyl Rites of Spring suit (also referred to as “Spring Rain” or “Tokyo Pop”), was developed specifically for the Aladdin Sane portion of the tour. Interestingly, the suit bears a significant resemblance to one of the costumes from the 1922 ballet Das Triadische. The large vinyl suit featured flared legs, and was paired with Bowie’s Starman face makeup in promotional photos.