An Ode to Lana Del Rey
How I first became aware of Lana Del Rey at 13 years old and her career at the time.
Buying Born To Die
The exact time of year I bought Born To Die is a bit hazy in my memory, but I believe it must’ve been half term. I had gone into Cardiff City Centre with a friend to go shopping and we stopped at HMV before we took the bus home.
I wondered around the store and looked for Born To Die because I was interested in why people found Lana’s lyrics and voice so depressing. At the time, this was a huge opinion surrounding her music. I even remember my Aunt telling my mum and I something along the lines of “isn’t her music supposed to be quite depressing?” when she got brought up in a conversation.
As I picked up the CD I wasn’t sure if I had enough money to buy it. I got my brown faux leather purse out that my Nan had bought me, and counted my money. I’m pretty sure it was all coins because I had the exact amount down to the last penny. When I arrived at the till and handed over the money, the employee told me I was 1p short. How could this be? I had just counted all my coins! But, stuck in the corner of my purse was the last penny. I feel like this was fate.
Listening to Born To Die
I think I started listening to the album as soon as I got home. I had an X Factor CD player which I had for years and would listen to everything on it. I sat on my bed in my tiny room and listened to it with my earphones. I was obsessed immediately. I always know my favourites as I hear them, and they just happened to be Dark Paradise, Radio and Carmen. I also loved how she ended the album with This Is What Makes Us Girls. It was perfect and almost left me reeling. The beats and hip hop influence on the album are unmatched and felt different paired with her sultry classic American voice.
Lana’s Aesthetic
Lana’s aesthetic has changed so much throughout the years while at still somehow remaining the same. I think that’s how you know it’s authentic. At the time, she was doing her big hair with variations of eyeliner and mostly nude lips.
There were lots of cute kind of preppy dresses and tops paired with jeans, skirts and white shirts. I remember her sporting a Louis Vuitton Broderie (SS12 Marc Jacobs era HELLOOO!!!) dress on Vogue Magazine. She also loved a ballet flat or sneaker wedge. She would be seen out with Jaime King and stylist Maeve Reilly, so maybe she was styling Lana?
Almost more important than the clothes were her nails and jewellery. She was know for her specific acrylic nails with the v shaped French tips and would wear either her double or triple finger diamond ring. And of course, her grill. Her cigarettes and tattoos were the best accessories of all.
The Face Of…
Lana had a number of collaborations and ambassadorships with notable brands quite early on in her mainstream career.
Mulberry used to be one of the most sought after brands for bags, so having a bag, the ‘Del Rey’, named after Lana was huge. It came in lots of colours and leathers and Lana was seen sporting the bag everywhere. She would also attend their runway shows at London Fashion Week.
Jaguar had tapped Lana to use her song ‘Burning Desire’ for their new F-type model. I remember seeing the advert on tv and would sit and watch it every single time. The music video was very old Hollywood with Lana wearing a white silk dress, red lip and perfectly shiny hair waves. She would also be papped driving her own Jaguar around LA.
The most mainstream and accessible collaboration was H&M. Images of her campaign were seen all over bus stops in the U.K. and her rendition of ‘Blue Velvet’ was the focal point of the tv advertisement. With vintage aesthetics and soft pink mohair jumpers, this was a big deal for us fans. When I speak to people about it today, they don’t even remember this!
Lana’s Influence
The U.K. were amongst the first to give Lana the most love and support, so I could never quite understand why it took longer for the US to get it. Things seemed to launch Lana into mainstream full on when she released Ultraviolence.
Today, Lana Del Rey is well respected and appreciated for her creativity and lyrics about relationships and hardships. Although, of course there will always be negativity.
She is an icon in both music and pop culture, being made into memes when giving interviews and having an obsession with vaping. Her relatability is at an all time high with her buying clothes for awards shows at the mall, marrying a Louisiana AirBoat Guide (lots of crocodiles) and spilling tea at her shows. Girls even look to her for getting lip filler, noting they specifically want plump lips in a Lana Del Rey sort of way.
For me, Lana Del Rey remains unmatched and will always be one of the most important artists I have come across. Nowadays, I can barely listen to Born To Die without crying.
