Lizzo Stylist Marko Monroe Opens Up About Singer’s Iconic Looks, Says Lizzo Is This Generation’s Madonna

Is singer-rapper Lizzo this generation’s #Madonna? Her stylist #MarkoMonroe seems to think so.

While her music is stellar, it’s more so Lizzo’s iconic fashions that make her as popular as Madonna.  “She’s made a splash,” he said. “I keep thinking, ‘Okay, people are watching [her outfits] now.'”  Monroe and Arkansas native has been working with Lizzo for the past two years. He said he knew Lizzo was a star when he first met her.

“I knew she was a star. In the context of how Madonna was very influential, I always thought of her as our generation’s [equivalent]. She has that shift on pop culture. I just didn’t know it was going to escalate as quickly as it did. Especially with [hits like “Truth Hurts’ and “Good as Hell”] that were old. It just took the world a little bit of time to catch up to her.”

From Lizzo’s blood-red Moschino “Siren” dress to her bubbly orange Valentino gown and matching itsy-bitsy purse, Lizzo is taking trendsetter to a new level, and Monroe said her style matches her confidence. “One, her message is so strong. Two, we’re not used to seeing someone her body shape carry clothes with such confidence. She’s confident, and style is about confidence. It doesn’t really matter what you wear as long as you have confidence in it. A lot of times, we have a certain idea of what her body shape should fit into, but styling doesn’t have to be so by the rules. At the end of the day, she just wants to feel good and sexy. I try to deliver that as best as I can,” said Monroe.

When it comes to the idea behind the small bag, Valentino purse, Monroe said it started from an inside joke. “I actually saw the artist who made the purse in collaboration with Valentino early on, and I screenshotted it. I sent it to friends, and we were all gagging about it. Lizzo and I have had a joke about tiny bags ever since I first started working with her. We’re always sending images to each other. When I saw the bag, I reached out to Valentino, and I was like, ‘Is this real? How can I get this?’ I just wanted to purchase it as a gift at first, but then I was like, ‘Oh, while we’re at it, do you want to do the AMAs with me?’ We built the look around the purse.”

He continued, “As soon as we got back to the trailer [after the AMAs], the memes had flooded in. We knew we did our job. Everything else was high-glam like she’s in Valentino. She’s wearing half-million-dollar earrings. Everything’s perfect, but there’s one little reminder of who she is with that bag.”

Monroe says that if you’re sharp on your pop culture history, be excited for Lizzo’s look at the Grammy’s. “If fans are aware of pop culture history, then they’ll be in for a surprise.”