David Bowie, whose death in January saddened legions of fans around the world, was more than just a musical innovator. He was also a fashion innovator, frequently overhauling his image and taking on a number of memorable personas, including Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke. Not for nothing was one of his most iconic songs called “Sound And Vision.” The English rocker had both ends of that spectrum covered. But where did Bowie get the inspiration for those flamboyant, colorful, gender- and genre-bending outfits of his? Perhaps the answer lies in the sea, specifically its soft-bodied gastropods. A marvelous Tumblr called Bowiebranchia compares photos of Bowie with pictures of “nudibranchia or other opisthobranchia.” To put it in more base terms, that means sea slugs or mollusks. These creatures might not lead the most glamorous lives, and very few have collaborated with Iggy Pop or recorded duets with Bing Crosby, but they certainly are colorful. One need only check out this stylish hot-pink number for evidence:
Bowiebranchia has the singer’s entire career covered. There are sea slugs to match every phase of Bowie’s odyssey. Here, for instance, is relatively early Bowie:
Some middle-years Bowie:
And some latter-day Bowie as well:
Those who claimed that Bowie favored colors not normally found in nature, then, are mistaken. One must merely leave dry land and venture into the deep.