Blue Origin Fashion Collaborations: Katy Perry and Gayle King Dazzle
What should one wear in space? For the first all-female flight crew, like the one from Blue Origin, the style requirements included custom outfits by Monse and a lightweight $10 makeup setting spray designed to withstand gravity.
The bespoke astronaut suits were crafted by Monse co-founders, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, tailored for a star-studded crew that featured pop sensation Katy Perry, broadcast journalist Gayle King, activist and entrepreneur Amanda Nguyen, aerospace engineer and former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and others.
This Blue Origin voyage lasted just over 10 minutes, but the planning and design of the crew’s fashionable attire began back in 2024.
As reported by Women’s Wear Daily, the collaboration with Monse has generated an impressive $2.1 million in media impact value since the flight’s launch on April 14, according to data from Launchmetrics. (MIV is a unique metric that assigns a financial value to marketing efforts across print, digital, and social media to calculate ROI.)
Designed by Creative Character Engineering, the stylish suits were made from ultra-comfortable, chic flame-resistant stretch Neoprene (a significant upgrade from traditional polyester). The modern silhouettes were streamlined and drew inspiration from motocross and ski apparel. Each outfit was meticulously tailored for a couture-like fit using individual 3D body scans to match the personalized measurements of each crew member.
Typically, astronaut suits are crafted for men and then adjusted for women—or not at all, as noted by The New York Times, which highlighted that “an all-female spacewalk planned in 2019 had to be scrapped because NASA lacked two suits that fit women.” Consequently, only one woman and one man participated.
In a pre-flight interview, Perry commented on the outfits, stating to Elle that she and her fellow mission members were going to “put the ‘ass’ in astronaut.” Nguyen, 33, addressed potential critiques by emphasizing the importance of being seen in this light.
King, 70, shared her enthusiasm when she tried on the suit, expressing her appreciation for how they looked “professional and feminine simultaneously,” which she noted was “something we had never witnessed before” in the realm of space attire, as she told The New York Times.
The crew was committed to looking glamorous leading up to their lift-off at 9:30 a.m. on April 14, sharing their stylish ensembles on Instagram before the 11-minute journey. All six women sported sleek blowouts and coordinated, form-fitting suits accentuated by slim zippers that highlighted their flawless appearance from every angle.
Perry’s makeup look was more relaxed, as her makeup artist, Alexandra French, revealed that the “ET” singer used an array of L’Oréal Paris products, including the brand’s Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist setting spray, which retails for just over $10 on Amazon.
“Understanding the emotion of the day, we ensured a double layer of setting spray, which held up impeccably from takeoff to landing,” French disclosed in a press release. Maybe Perry’s lyrics from “ET,” “feels like I am floating/leaves my body glowing,” contributed to her ethereal glow, as French also used L’Oréal Paris’ celebrity-approved True Match Lumi Glotion in shade 902 to give the pop star, 40, a “space glow.”
“We aimed for something soft, beautiful, and timeless, knowing this moment would be unforgettable,” French remarked, adding that Perry wanted a look that celebrated the strength and elegance of women making history. Who says one can’t look fabulous while doing so?
However, many voices in the social media sphere, including major celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, and Amy Schumer, criticized the mission for its extravagance and perceived misuse of feminist messaging.
“That’s end-time s***,” Ratajkowski, 33, stated in a TikTok clip. “This is beyond parody.” She added, “I’m appalled.” Wilde, 41, quipped on her Instagram Story, “Billion dollars bought some good memes, I guess.”
Even Wendy’s official account, known for its playful trolling, responded to a tweet about Perry’s return from space, stating, “Can we send her back?”
Perry’s representatives were not pleased; a source “close to the situation” told People in an exclusive interview published on April 17: “Wendy’s didn’t just joke—they made a choice. Their recent comments on X about Katy Perry were not only disrespectful, but utterly inappropriate,” the source stated.
“This wasn’t just light-hearted banter; it was a billion-dollar brand using its platform to publicly belittle a woman.” Criticizing the negative commentary as “irresponsible” and “hypocritical,” they added, “Telling a woman she should be ‘sent back’ is a shameful act of bullying and reflects a concerning trend in today’s society.”
In response, Wendy’s issued a statement to People, asserting, “We always add a little spice to our social media, but Wendy’s holds a great deal of respect for Katy Perry and her extraordinary talents.”
After the flight, when a BBC reporter inquired about her new status as “officially an astronaut,” Perry reflected, saying the experience revealed “how much love you have to give and how loved you are.”
