The revelation comes as renewed interest in Madonna’s celebrated Confessions on a Dance Floor era has prompted a look back at the singer’s many reinventions.
Hairstylist Garren, who worked closely with Madonna, 67, throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, reflected on their creative partnership, which produced some of her most recognizable looks – from her Vanity Fair cover to the Erotica music video and the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards.
The period also coincided with Madonna’s highly publicized clash with Hole frontwoman Love, 62, whose chaotic interruption of her singing rival’s live MTV interview became one of the decade’s most memorable celebrity confrontations.
A source told us: “Madonna always treated her appearance as an extension of her artistry, so any threat to that, however playful or unexpected, was something she took seriously. She and Garren spent enormous amounts of time perfecting every detail before stepping into the spotlight, and she wanted everything to remain exactly as planned.”
Garren recently reflected on the collaboration that helped define some of Madonna’s most iconic transformations.
He said, “I just love making characters out of characters. (Madonna) loves transforming herself.”
Garren explained that after meeting the Material Girl during an Italian Vogue photo shoot, the pair developed a remarkably candid working relationship built on trust and honesty.
“I think that’s what she liked about working with me, because she always said, ‘Garren, what is wrong with the way everything looks?'” he recalled.