Girls just want to have fun — and apparently, neon hair.
Doja Cat lit up Melbourne on Tuesday night with a full-throttle ’80s fantasy, taking the stage at Rod Laver Arena in a look that paid bold tribute to pop legend Cyndi Lauper. The 30-year-old star arrived in a spiky, hot-pink wig and vivid technicolor makeup, embracing the decade’s maximalist spirit for her latest Tour Ma Vie performance.
Her outfit was equally over-the-top in the best way. Doja performed in a leopard-print lamé bodysuit designed by Louis Verdad, complete with exaggerated yellow puff sleeves. She paired the look with dramatic accessories from House of Emmanuele and fingerless lace gloves — a nod to a signature accessory of ’80s pop divas.
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The electric pink wig — crafted by celebrity hairstylist Jared Henderson (JStayReady) — evoked Lauper’s iconic choppy cuts and wild neon hues. Makeup artist Ivan Núñez matched the energy with bold swipes of dark blue and electric yellow eyeshadow, creating a glam-rock palette straight out of MTV’s golden era.
The entire ensemble was curated by Doja’s longtime creative director and stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, who has been shaping the star’s exuberant, synth-soaked Vie era. Doja has said the aesthetic draws inspiration from icons such as Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Prince, and Janet Jackson — all of whom influenced the sound and visuals of her upcoming fifth studio album.
Lauper herself would no doubt approve. The “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” trailblazer has praised the new generation of performance-focused pop stars, recently applauding Chappell Roan’s theatricality during a September VMAs appearance.
“The hair alone, come on!” Lauper said on Watch What Happens Live. “It’s performance art. It’s visual, it’s so visual — and I love those visual things.”
Roan later honored Lauper with a custom newspaper-print skirt at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony — the same event where Doja Cat delivered a standout cover of OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson.”
Doja has been leaning fully into retro glamour throughout Tour Ma Vie, which kicked off on Nov. 18 in Auckland and runs through December 2026, concluding in New York City. Her references span a wide range of music royalty: last month, she wore a chainmail dress inspired by Tina Turner’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome look for her Vogue World: Hollywood performance. Earlier in the season, she debuted her “Vie” era at the VMAs in a pastel Balmain mini dress paired with butter-yellow platform heels and a lipstick-shaped Judith Leiber bag — pure pop spectacle.
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