It’s about time. On Wednesday, August 21, Madame Tussauds added the late music legend Aaliyah to their hall of icons at its Las Vegas unveiling. Loved ones and the famous wax house worked together to ensure the accuracy of the figure and to capture her legacy. Scroll through the gallery below to see the photos.
“This set, rather than being a recreation of any one particular Aaliyah moment, was instead designed with a message to her fans in mind,” Adam Morey, Studios Manager at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas said to Vibe. He continued to say that he wanted the piece to be more uplifting than just merely a photo op. “It’s a message that hopefully reflects her everlasting legacy.”
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The late R&B singer’s wax figure pulled inspiration from her memorable performance in her 2000 “Try Again” music video. “It was clear right away it would be the ‘Try Again’ look for our Aaliyah figure,” Adam added. “The look has the sexy, edgy, timeless vibe we try to imbue in the Las Vegas attraction within all our creative choices. Mining popular culture as only Madame Tussauds can, our desire to honor Aaliyah and the look in this way was only confirmed as we see today’s Hollywood stars like KeKe Palmer, Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, also paying homage by recreating their own favorite moments of the Princess of R&B.”
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The figure can be seen donning her signature metallic bra, with matching choker and belt, and leather pants. The trademark look is still a Halloween costume staple today. Most notable, Kim Kardashian dressed up as the “Are You That Somebody?” singer for Halloween 2017. Also, the KKW beauty mogul, 38, caused a stir in her most recent ‘90s inspired makeup drop when people saw eerily similarities between Kim’s look and Aaliyah’s. Fans stated that her makeup and hair emulated that of the singer.
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Instrumental in the creation of the wax figure was Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton. The proud bro told Vibe, “The team at Madame Tussauds welcomed a collaborative effort in choosing the pose and look of my sister’s figure. They made sure my mother and I were comfortable and supported through an amazing but understandably emotional process.”
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The singer was tragically killed in a plane crash 18 years ago on August 25, 2001 . She was only 22 years old. Her memory will live on with her family, fans and now Madame Tussauds.