“I am not a diva, I am THE diva!” Miss Piggy believed herself and we all did too. But she did not just make statements, she created a movement. Like many of my generation, I grew up with the concept of stardom equated to a pig. Only she was never just quite that. She was a genuine character living her life, dating a famous frog. What made her egocentric persona so lovable and well, real, was her sense of three dimensionality and her trueness to self. Over her years of fame, Miss Piggy has gathered, latched on and shared much wisdom about what’s wrong with everyone else and what’s right with her. It was all about her; “Moi, moi and moi” was personified in how she really stole the spotlight. She was the original It-Girl.

I idolized her as a kid. Never Barbie, it was always about Miss Piggy. I would wait impatiently to see her egoistic-authoritative-self-beauty personality on the Muppet Show, she just commanded presence on the screen and off. I always waited to see the crazy roles she could portray and the wacky outfits she would pull-off but most of all I waited impatiently for the “Hiya” martial arts kick in high heels. She was so womanly yet so masculine at the same time impersonating a transvestite’s wildest dream and every women’s inner empowerment. This could be seen in her attire too – there was always some pink or purple and lots of shiny adornment in her garb but never a sweet feel to it. She was a full-figured sex goddess and looked the part, never too shy to be covered in feathers, polka dots and flashy patterns mixed with very feminine accessories and attitudes.

Miss Piggy joined the cast of the Muppets in 1976 as a member of the chorus line on the very first episode of The Muppet Show. Large blue eyes with thick black lashes and eyelids replaced her original beady ones. Her hair grew longer and she wore a lavender dress, with pearls and gloves. By the second episode, she was no doubt the star. Over-the-top feather boas, big diamond rings and her signature satin gloves were norms in her daily wardrobe.
Originally dressed as a mix of old Hollywood glamour and femme fatale, she then moves on to diversify her style in the 80s onwards with various hairstyles and more outlandish costumes. Her hairdos vary from longer to shorter with curls, a perm and even brown hair at some point. It was all a blend of power and softness, love and hate, bold and subtleness in both character and dress.

Today, Miss Piggy has re-emerged into the spotlight. She has stepped into popular culture and has experimented with satin, silk and even leather to mention a few. In the process of re-inventing herself to fit in with the modern times she seems to have lost some of her original credibility and mostly obsession with pink. But who she was will never go away. Miss Piggy showed us how over-the-top is done - sensational, high-maintenance and quite militant in her dedication of pursuing her Kermit, the perfect outfit and international fame, she literally was a queen in all sense of the word. She shared the star-dream of many and dealt with the daily challenges we all faced; only Piggy was on top of things, literally. She was a superstar, fashion icon and independent woman with a nonconformist unique aura of dichotomy. She represented glamour and was a trendsetter in the way she held herself, talked and definitely dressed. All details were accounted for from hair to makeup to accessories to an elaborate wardrobe choice, exemplifying a true revolutionary fashionista. Piggy claims fame did not change her core as she explained, during a more recent interview with The New York Times: “I am still just little Moi, the same gorgeous and supremely talented pig. Beauty is my curse."