imelda marcos
Widow of Ferdinand Marcos. 10th First Lady of the Philippines, 1965–1986
Gloriously ambitious and extravagant, Imelda Marcos is more famous for her shoes than her ’dos but in the days before she cleaned out every branch of Jimmy Choo the world over, Meldie sported a deadly black beehive that paid fitting tribute to the ‘Elvis in Vegas’ years.
And, best of all, she still does! At the time of writing, the ‘Iron Butterfly’ is heading towards her 90s and is still politicking all over the country, demanding respect and provoking controversy wherever she goes. Now in its tenth decade, the beehive has been officially recognised as a World Heritage Site, such is its spectacular construction and international architectural interest.
Woe betide anyone who suggests Meldie goes grey quietly. What’s a few million on octopus ink to the lady who once spent $2,000 at an airport on chewing gum? Get real. She’s sassy, classy and brassy, and in a world where tyrants’ widows spend the rest of their lives increasingly resembling pot-bellied stoves, Meldie is a reminder that bad is a Thing, and not always a bad Thing…