A Look Back at Sinéad O’Connor’s 90s Punk Style

Sinead O’Connor died at the age of 56 on Wednesday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad,” the singer’s family said in a statement, according to BBC. “Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”

The Irish singer, who will be remembered for her emotional hit cover of Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U,” had a punk attitude, with matching punk style. In 1989, O’Connor became the first artist to publicly attack the Grammys while being nominated for four awards that same year. In 1992, she famously tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on stage on “Saturday Night Live” in protest of the Catholic Church’s alleged complicity with child abuse cases.

O’Connor’s rise to fame was documented in “Nothing Compares.” Released in 2022, the documentary directed by Kathryn Ferguson shone a light on her life and career from 1987 to 1993. During this time, the singer’s style became synonymous with the punk and grunge aesthetic. She would often wear leather jackets, high-waisted and distressed jeans, white Ts and Dr. Martens boots. O’Connor was also famous for wearing graphic T-shirts with messages considered defiant for the time.

Here, WWD remembers some of her memorable fashion moments.

Olympic Ballroom, 1988

Sinead O’Connor on stage at the Olympic Ballroom in 1988.

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In one of her earlier performances, O’Connor took the stage at the Olympic Ballroom in Dublin wearing black semi-sheer tights with a cropped leather jacket and lace-up combat boots. She added an edgy update to her all-black outfit with a tutu skirt.