Maripol

Maripol 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. She is also a Polaroid artist photographer.

Maripol was brought up in France before moving to New York City in 1976. 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.

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, jewellery and crucifixes became as iconic as Madonna herself in these early years. She also made a line of official Madonna jewellery 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 the post-production of Downtown 81, a film starring artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and featuring Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry, and with musical interludes by many New York No Wave bands. The movie, directed by then partner Edo Bertoglio and written and produced by Glenn O'Brien, was filmed in 1980-81 as New York Beat. However, it was not until the late 1990s that the film was edited and released (as Downtown 81). O'Brien and Executive Producer Michael Zilkha enlisted Maripol to work on post-production to complete the film before its 2000 release, and debut at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes.

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