'Ahead of its time': How Olivia Newton-John's latest Grease outfit became a cultural phenomenon
The death of Olivia Newton-John this week was followed by an avalanche of tributes from celebrities and fans on social media. And the image accompanying most of the posts of Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in the final scene of his seminal 1978 film Grease. Dressed in skin-tight black pants, a black off-the-shoulder top, red mules and a biker jacket, her hair brushed up and a cigarette in her hand, she gazes into the eyes of co-star John Travolta in the role of Danny Zuko.
< p class="dcr-139bh9t">Released almost 45 years ago and set in the 1950s, Grease stays in tune with the times - with the makeover Newton-John's now infamous and his final outfit at the heart of it. Fans paid tribute on Twitter, with one writing that the outfit "has shaped my fashion style since I was about three" and another saying "the world has changed" after seeing it. The outfit is so recognizable that it is a popular choice for costume parties. Celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Jessica Simpson and Hailey Bieber have been Sandy for Halloween in recent years.![Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in Grease.](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d936a22a177d8ae66f3347d6021400ba084c5ab0/0_0_1884_2745/master/1884.jpg?width=380&quality=85&fit=max&s=4d2881a3d83b4b02ac3ccd42730e9=)
The continued impact is partly due to the outfit's place in the film. In the final scene, Sandy – previously painted as a square in the cute poodle skirts and pastel colors of the 1950s — is transformed into a 'bad girl' in skintight black and leather." He seems to have a way of representing [everyone's] dreams ", says Oliver Gruner, who edited the 2019 book Grease is the Word. "[Sandy] transforms from a shrinking purple...[It's an example of] becoming totally different...
!['Ahead of its time': How Olivia Newton-John's latest Grease outfit became a cultural phenomenon](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/af295fc20bfca786fbab90f10e84484e944e5e3c/0_99_3072_1843/master/3072.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=716b7a9ecf915a93578df4cf87d08f0b#)
The death of Olivia Newton-John this week was followed by an avalanche of tributes from celebrities and fans on social media. And the image accompanying most of the posts of Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in the final scene of his seminal 1978 film Grease. Dressed in skin-tight black pants, a black off-the-shoulder top, red mules and a biker jacket, her hair brushed up and a cigarette in her hand, she gazes into the eyes of co-star John Travolta in the role of Danny Zuko.
< p class="dcr-139bh9t">Released almost 45 years ago and set in the 1950s, Grease stays in tune with the times - with the makeover Newton-John's now infamous and his final outfit at the heart of it. Fans paid tribute on Twitter, with one writing that the outfit "has shaped my fashion style since I was about three" and another saying "the world has changed" after seeing it. The outfit is so recognizable that it is a popular choice for costume parties. Celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Jessica Simpson and Hailey Bieber have been Sandy for Halloween in recent years.![Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in Grease.](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d936a22a177d8ae66f3347d6021400ba084c5ab0/0_0_1884_2745/master/1884.jpg?width=380&quality=85&fit=max&s=4d2881a3d83b4b02ac3ccd42730e9=)
The continued impact is partly due to the outfit's place in the film. In the final scene, Sandy – previously painted as a square in the cute poodle skirts and pastel colors of the 1950s — is transformed into a 'bad girl' in skintight black and leather." He seems to have a way of representing [everyone's] dreams ", says Oliver Gruner, who edited the 2019 book Grease is the Word. "[Sandy] transforms from a shrinking purple...[It's an example of] becoming totally different...
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