In late 1988, Madonna and Herb Ritts teamed up to create the visual material for the Like a Prayer album. The album incorporates elements of rock, R&B, gospel, and funk and thematically, Like a Prayer deals with the influence of Catholicism on Madonna’s existence as well as her relationship with her father, her mother’s death and the importance of family as a form of stability in her life. Being her most personal œuvre up to that point, Madonna evoked the introspective nature of the record in its imagery. Hence, she went back to her natural brown hair colour and wore fashions drawing on various hippie influences portraying her as a rebellious catholic school girl, a goth angel and bohemian goddess.

Then fashion editor for British Vogue and stylist for the shoot Sarajane Hoare recalled in an Instagram post the day she worked with Madonna: “I will never forget dressing Madonna in the back of a stretch limo with black stockings and slip dress as a rebellious convent girl – no police force of publicist, no assistants. We jumped out and did the photographs in some weird graveyard somewhere in LA.”

The photographs were taken in December 1988 on two different locations—the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California and Herb’s studio. For the cemetery shoot, Madonna wore two dresses designed by French couturier Christian Lacroix, a gothic Azzedine Alaïa gown, the cross pendant necklace she would later wear in her iconic Like a Prayer music video and multiple baroque rings.

Like a Prayer: Madonna sporting a black Christian Lacroix Spring/Summer 1989 Ready-to-Wear multi ruffle dress 1/2
Like a Prayer: Madonna sporting a black Christian Lacroix Spring/Summer 1989 Ready-to-Wear multi ruffle dress 2/2
The rebellious catholic school girl: A short black silk chiffon slip from the Christian Lacroix Luxe line
In this outtake, Madonna wears an olive-green velvet gown by Azzedine Alaïa with a dirndl-inspired bodice with scooped and wide-cut neckline and a concealed zipper to front 1/2
In this outtake, Madonna wears an olive-green velvet gown by Azzedine Alaïa with a dirndl-inspired bodice with scooped and wide-cut neckline and a concealed zipper to front 2/2

Later that day, after the cemetery shoot was completed, the team moved to Herb Ritts’ studio for the second part of the photoshoot. Stylist Sarajane Hoare remembered in a Vogue article the atmosphere when the photos were taken at Herb’s Los Angeles studio: “Before us is a Madonna who has stepped out of a Renaissance painting, a Mona Lisa, with long brown hair centre-parted, dark damson lips and porcelain white skin. She dances for us, yelling throatily over the words of a Prince tape that is blasting out of the speakers so loudly that we can hardly hear ourselves think.“

Madonna rocking a pair of handmade Richard Minadeo gold cross earrings. The earrings on the right are not the same earrings as Madonna’s, however they are quite similar in design and material

The look below featured a show-stopping gold Christian Lacroix velvet rhinestone encrusted bolero jacket with beads and sequins selected from his Fall/Winter 1988 Ready-to-Wear collection. Photos of Madonna rocking this look were used for the Cherish single cover. Although we only get a glimpse of the bolero jacket in the photo, I am proud to say that, after meticulous research, I have been able to identify this wonderful Christian Lacroix piece. Even though no full pictures of Madonna shining in this Lacroix number are available (only three close-up photos were released), we are going to have to settle for the next best thing with photos of three models wearing it.

Madonna wearing a Christian Lacroix Fall/Winter 1998 Ready-to-Wear velvet rhinestone encrusted bolero jacket with beads and sequins
Right: Elaine Irwin wearing the same Christian Lacroix bolero in Grazia’s January 1989 issue 
Isabelle Adjani rocking the Christian Lacroix bolero on the cover of the November 1988 issue of Vogue Paris

In the photograph below, Madonna wears a hat, jacket and snake print trousers from London streetwear label RAP. RAP, or Real Artistic People – both a label and a shop – was founded by Hassan Hajjaj in 1984 on London’s Neal Street and he quickly became a key member of London’s first wave of street labels in the 1980s. RAP clothes were designed to reflect the London that Hajjaj and his friends lived in. Part of a community of twentysomethings from Africa and the Caribbean, he was keen to make something bespoke for them. “I met people who had similar journeys, we were all from different cultures but made a village in London,” he said in an interview for The Guardian. “There wasn’t fashion for us, we couldn’t get into the clubs, we couldn’t find the food we wanted to eat. This was doing something for ourselves.” After closing RAP for 20 years, Hajjaj relaunched it in 2016.

Pictures of Madonna sporting this look were sold to Rolling Stone magazine for its 1989 issue. She recycled the look at Sandy Gallin’s Holiday Party in Beverly Hills on December 18, 1988.

Madonna wearing a hat, jacket and snake print trousers from Neal Street RAP store

The “Like a Prayer” album cover featured Madonna’s stomach covered by a Richard Minadeo zipper necklace with dark amethyst pendant and an Erickson Beamon open ended gemstone necklace. The look was styled by Sarajane Hoare with a white silk blouse and embroidered waistcoat from British designer Karen Boyd, and a pair of Levi Strauss denim shorts.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t provide you with photos of the exact jewellery worn by Madonna as the designers did not document their early pieces. However, I was able to find similar gems made by them in the late 1980s. Richard Minadeo was kind enough to share with me an exclusive photo of an amethyst attached to a similar zipper necklace he made around that time. “This piece wasn’t typical of my work. I just attached a crystal to an old zipper for myself. Her stylist saw it and loved it”, recalled Minadeo.

In the 80s and early 90s, Richard Minadeo‘s handmade jewels were famous among rock royalty. One day, he got a call from Marlene Stewart, asking if he would create jewellery for Madonna’s Virgin Tour (1985). He told me that, among other pieces, he did the peace sign belt she wore during Burning Up. He also remembered that in Chicago the trunk of accessories used for the tour was stolen and he had to remake it. Minadeo is currently designing exclusively for Resurrection Vintage.

Erickson Beamon is an acclaimed fashion jewellery brand, which was founded in the 80s by Vicki Beamon and Karen Erickson. The coveted beaded necklaces have become the Beamon trademark, as well as chandelier earrings, bracelets and brooches all meticulously handcrafted using the tiniest of crystals and semi-precious stones.

Karen Boyd recently shared the story of Madonna wearing her blouse and waistcoat on the cover of her album on her social media, “Back then, I had my own label business Karen Boyd Collection. I was beyond excited when I heard that Madonna was wearing my collection on the album cover, until I saw the cover and could only actually see a couple of my gold buttons in the corner of the image. It was only years later that I got to see the outtakes by the incredible Herb Ritts which actually show the clothes as well as that infamous belly button!“

The album cover look: Madonna wore a white silk blouse and an embroidered waistcoat with gold buttons, both from British designer Karen Boyd
The model on the right wears a Karen Boyd shirt with the same collar design as Madonna’s. Also, notice the same embroidery pattern used for Madonna’s waistcoat
Madonna rocking a Richard Minadeo zipper necklace with dark amethyst pendant
The other piece of jewellery comes from Erickson Beamon, an open ended gemstone necklace

The next series of images depict Madonna looking every inch a goddess in boho-chic attire with pieces from Jean Paul Gaultier‘s Spring/Summer 1989 collection, Voyage autour du monde en 168 tenues. One image from this series was chosen as the cover for the February 1989 issue of British Vogue while the rest were used in various magazines around the world and for other promotional purposes.

Oh Father: Madonna in a Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 1989 Klimt print jumpsuit 
Right: Linda Evangelista modelling a tunic bearing the same print at Jean Paul Gaultier‘s Spring/Summer 1989 show
British Vogue cover: Madonna wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 1989 black appliqué sheer dress
The pendant earrings in aged metal with resin charms are also by Jean Paul Gaultier and come from the same collection
Dark red silk scarf from Jean Paul Gaultier
Madonna in the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 1989 Gustav Klimt print double-breasted black silk jacket 1/2
Madonna in the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 1989 Gustav Klimt print double-breasted black silk jacket 2/2

All throughout the shoot, Madonna wore her then-favourite pair of lace-up wing-tip boots she made famous on her Who’s That Girl World Tour (1987). When she did the photoshoot with Patrick Demarchelier for the May 1989 issue of American Vogue at her then-newly purchased house in West Hollywood, Oberto Gili was appointed by the magazine to take photographs of some of the interiors. He photographed a shoe rack in the closet where Madonna kept identical pairs of the boots. Vogue did not credit the designer of these beauties.

Madonna wearing the lace-up wing-tip boots on her “Who’s That Girl World Tour” (1987)
Madonna wearing the lace-up wing-tip boots for the Hollywood Forever Cemetery session

Styling: Sarajane Hoare

Hair: Serena Radaelli

Make-up: Francesca Tolot