From cocktail waitress to global fashion icon: the multifaceted career of Dua Lipa
In short: Before topping the charts, Dua Lipa was a cocktail waitress who leveraged her early modeling work to secure a record deal. Today, she is not only a Grammy-winning artist but a significant force in fashion, having collaborated with major brands and designed her own successful clothing collections inspired by past decades.
Dua Lipa’s path to stardom began in London, where she balanced early modeling gigs with a job at a cocktail bar. Her breakthrough came in 2013 after she signed with TaP Management, which provided the financial stability for her to focus entirely on music. By 2014, she had secured a record deal with Warner Bros. Records, a partnership driven by the label's need for a prominent female pop artist. Her debut album, released in 2017, quickly established her as a major talent, featuring hits like 'New Rules', which became the first number-one single by a female solo artist in the UK since 2015.
Beyond her musical achievements, Lipa has cultivated a substantial presence in the fashion industry. Her career includes numerous magazine covers, such as British Vogue and Elle, and global ambassadorships for brands like Foot Locker and Pepe Jeans London. In 2019, she became the first musician to serve as a global ambassador for Pepe Jeans, eventually launching multiple capsule collections. These designs frequently drew inspiration from the aesthetics of the 1990s and early 2000s, incorporating elements like chain mail dresses, oversized blazers, and metallic miniskirts. Her final collaboration with the brand, 'Denim Decades', reflected a retrospective look at the company's history.
Lipa’s influence extends into the business of her own creative output. In November 2023, she achieved a significant milestone by acquiring full ownership of her music catalogue and publishing rights from TaP Music. This move followed a period of immense commercial success, with her recordings reaching 40 billion streams by early 2024. Her career remains defined by this blend of artistic independence and high-profile commercial partnerships, ranging from fragrance endorsements with Yves Saint Laurent to acting roles in major films like Barbie and Argylle. Her ability to navigate both the music charts and the fashion world underscores her status as a versatile modern entertainer.
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