It's been 25 years of the Spice Girls!
25 years ago this summer, the then-unknown, now iconic girl group The Spice Girls released their debut single "Wannabe" and quickly became one of the most popular pop acts in the world.
To celebrate the anniversary, superfan James Stapleton roped in his husband and friends to recreate an iconic Spice Girl look. "It was my 40th birthday and COVID rules meant limiting my celebrations but it wasn’t going to limit my fun," he tells PRIDE. "Our quaranteam bubble (myself, my husband and 3 good friends) had helped each other through such a sh*tty year, the 5 of us were there for each other and then hit me, we are basically the Spice Girls, we need to do a theme party! How can you not have a good time playing dress up as 5 iconic women?!"
Each person put their spin on different instantly recognizable Spice Girl looks. Stapleton is Baby, his husband TK is Posh, John Oliveira is Scary, Melvin M. is Sporty, and another girlfriend is Ginger.
For Stapleton, Spice Girls has been a life-long obsession.
"I’ve been obsessed with the Spice Girls since the beginning, I was at that age where music and pop culture really shape you," he reflects. "The Spice Girls empowered me to own who I was, they put such an emphasis on being individual and not apologizing for who you are. Now, 25 years later, that message and empowerment still rings true."
Stapleton currently hosts WANNABE: A Spice Girls Podcast, the first official SG podcast, with his friend John (pictured as Scary Spice).
As the exact date of the 25h anniversary looms, Stapleton is ready for a legendary celebration. "I am excited to see what they have in store for fans as the anniversary of WANNABE approaches!"
Jaymes Vaughan and Jonathan Bennett / Toni Cassano and Sonya DevilleJamie McCarthy/Getty Images for GLAAD / Michael Kovac/Getty Images for GLAAD
