Maripol was brought up in
France before moving to
New York,
USA in 1976. She is an artist, film producer, fashion designer and stylist who has had an influence on the looks of many influential artists, including
Grace Jones,
Deborah Harry, and
Madonna. Maripol is also a Polaroid artist photographer who has exhibited her photos in art galleries all over the world. Her photographic work is being collected by museums. In 2006, Maripol had a new book of her life's photography published.
Maripol is best known for designing for and styling pop singer
Madonna during the
Madonna and
Like a Virgin albums in the mid-1980s. Maripol's trademark black rubber bracelets,
jewelery and
crucifixes became as iconic as Madonna herself in these early years.
In the early 1980s, Maripol was the art director for hip Italian boutique
Fiorucci. By the mid-80s, Maripol had achieved some success with her own shop, Maripolitan, in the
NoHo area of
New York. She also made a line of official Madonna jewelery and accessories for the
Like a Virgin tour.
At the same time she directed documentary films, such as "Crack is whack" on 1980s artist
Keith Haring.
She has also worked as a film producer, most notably on
Downtown 81, a film starring artist
Jean-Michel Basquiat and featuring
Blondie lead singer
Deborah Harry, and musical interludes my many New York
No Wave bands. The movie, directed by then partner Edo and written by
Glenn O'Brien, was filmed in 1980-81 as
New York Beat. However, it was not until 1998 that the film was rediscovered, cleaned up, edited and released (as
Downtown 81) after being selected at the director's fortnight of the Cannes film festival in the year 2000.
She has been the art director on music videos for
Cher, D’Angelo,
Elton John, and
Luther Vandross.
See also
