The life and career of Joan Rivers will be celebrated at NBC’s “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” special, airing on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET. The late comic, who died in 2014, began her career as a fashion coordinator in retail before breaking into comedy in the early 1960s, performing in comedy clubs in Chicago and New York. Her big break came in 1965 with an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
Over her celebrated career, Rivers made fashion part of her branding. She became known for wearing extravagant, glamorous ensembles. The comic is also credited with transforming celebrity fashion commentary.
In 1994, Rivers covered the Golden Globes red carpet and asked guests one simple question: “Who are you wearing?” The moment transformed red carpet coverage and brought fashion closer to Hollywood events.
“It’s [red carpets] become the world’s largest ad, the world’s largest fashion show. So for people like myself, who don’t get invited to fashion week and don’t get to sit in the fashion show, it’s like the best of and it’s an insider’s peek. You don’t have to be Anna Wintour to see what’s coming,” television host Melissa Rivers, daughter of the late Joan Rivers and former cohost of the “Fashion Police,” told WWD in 2023.
Joan Rivers hosted “Fashion Police” from 2010 to 2014. She also designed her own jewelry and apparel lines for QVC.
Ahead of NBC’s “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute,” WWD looks back at Joan Rivers’ life and style through the years. See photos below.
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Joan Rivers, 1966
Image Credit: ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
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Joan Rivers, 1968
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers
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Joan Rivers, 1968
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers holding her daughter, Melissa Rivers.
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Joan Rivers, 1969
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers at her home in New York.
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Joan Rivers, 1972
Image Credit: Frank Diernhammer Rivers in 1972.
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Joan Rivers, 1978
Image Credit: ©Avco Embassy / Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “Rabbit Test.”
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Joan Rivers, 1983
Image Credit: Guy DeLort Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg attend an event at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 7, 1983.
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Joan Rivers, 1986
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1986
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1986
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1986
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1987
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1987
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers.”
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Joan Rivers, 1989
Image Credit: ©USA Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Joan Rivers Show.”
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Joan Rivers, 1989
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “The Joan Rivers Show.”
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Joan Rivers, 1990
Image Credit: ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers and Telma Hopkins in “How to Murder a Millionaire.”
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Joan Rivers, 1993
Image Credit: Eric Weiss Joan Rivers (foreground) attends an event, comprising a screening at the Ziegfeld Theatre and an afterparty at the New York Hilton Hotel, in New York City on Sept. 13, 1993.
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Joan Rivers, 1993
Image Credit: Dan D'Errico Joan Rivers (C) and guests attend an event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on November 11, 1993.
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Joan Rivers, 1993
Image Credit: Eric Weiss Joan Rivers (C) and guests attend an event at Steinway Hall in New York City on November 10, 1993.
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Joan Rivers, 1994
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Story.”
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Joan Rivers, 1994
Image Credit: Eric Weiss Joan Rivers attends an event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on December 5, 1994.
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Joan Rivers, 1995
Image Credit: NIck Haddow Joan Rivers (C) and guests attend an event at Lincoln Center in New York City on May 2, 1995.
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Joan Rivers, 1995
Image Credit: ©Tribune Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection Joan Rivers in “Can We Shop?”
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Joan Rivers, 1998
Image Credit: Tony Palmieri Joan Rivers attends an event at the flagship Bloomingdale’s store in New York City on April 6, 1988.
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Joan Rivers, 2001
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s annual Gala to celebrate the “Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years” exhibition on April 24, 2001 in New York.
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Joan Rivers, 2003
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Melissa Rivers (L) and Joan Rivers attend the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
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Joan Rivers, 2004
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers attends the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
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Joan Rivers, 2004
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers attends the ABT 65th Anniversary Dinner and Autumn Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
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Joan Rivers, 2005
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers (L) and Melissa Rivers attend the 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
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Joan Rivers, 2005
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers (L) and Mai Harrison attend the 23rd annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards lunch at Central Park’s Conservatory Garden.
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Joan Rivers, 2006
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media TV personalities Joan Rivers (L) and Melissa Rivers attend the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
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Joan Rivers, 2006
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers attends the J.C. Penney Experience pop-up store opening at One Times Square.
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Joan Rivers, 2007
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers (L) and Liza Minnelli attends the Bill Blass spring 2007 runway show at Bryant Park Tent.
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Joan Rivers, 2008
Image Credit: Courtesy Joan Rivers in “Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life.”
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Joan Rivers, 2010
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Joan Rivers attends Elie Tahari’s ‘Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work’ premiere at Angelika Film Center.
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Joan Rivers, 2012
Image Credit: E! Entertainment (l-r) Kelly Osbourne, Joan Rivers, Giuliana Rancic, George Kotsiopoulos for “Fashion Police.”