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The 1990s were a defining decade for fashion, characterized by a mix of grunge, hip-hop, and the rise of supermodel-driven glamour.
Inspired by the series In Vogue: The 90s, a six-part retrospective of this tumultuous and transformative decade in fashion, we are delving deeper into this iconic era with a selection of free-to-view content from across Bloomsbury Fashion Central.
The Birth of the Supermodel
The nineties were a golden era for supermodels, with some of the most recognisable faces today making their way in the fashion industry, namely the ‘Big Six’: Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, and Christy Turlington. Aided by image-conscious designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Calvin Klein, and Gianni Versace, and photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindberg, and Steven Meisel, these top models defined beauty standards of the age, becoming celebrities in their own right.
This chapter by Michael Gross in The Berg Companion to Fashion traces the use of the term ‘supermodel’ and explores the key moments, designers, photographers and publications which contributed to the nineties peak of ‘Supermodeldom’.
Grunge
The grunge music scene had a pronounced impact on both street and high fashion during the 1990s. The first mention of grunge in the fashion industry was in Women’s Wear Daily on 17 August 1992, and by 1993 Marc Jacobs had brought grunge to the runway with his spring collection for Perry Ellis. He was later followed by designers such as Calvin Klein, Christian Francis Roth, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Anna Sui, and Versace.
Grunge music and fashion drew a strong influence from the punk movement, as explored in this lesson plan by Kathryn Reiley. Having shaped the punk sound and style in the 1970s, Vivienne Westwood continued to be one the most influential designers of the 1990s. Her Designer Biography introduces the story of her work, including her collections dubbed ‘Anglomania’ from 1993-99.
High fashion co-opted grunge for its catwalk collections but how did the subculture intersect with everyday fashion? Read more about DIY approaches to dress and how the post-punk generation helped to drive the cultural and social significance of grunge as a key nineties trend in this chapter by Shannon Bell Price.
Hip Hop and Fashion
Beginning in the Bronx, New York, and expanding from the streets to the runway, hip-hop was unique in its direct influence on what acclaimed designers were producing in the nineties and in the production of its own fashion labels. In the article 1990s Style: Key Themes and Trends, Melissa Marra-Alvarez breaks down the significance of key trends, which are considered emblematic of this decade.
As the decade progressed, sportswear labels such as Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and Polo Ralph Lauren became increasingly important to hip-hop fashion. The integration into mainstream culture was evidenced by high fashion collections from designers such as Isaac Mizrahi and Anna Sui. Read Hip-Hop by Shayla Corinne Black which traces the history of this multi-faceted genre and its longstanding impact on fashion.
Tom Ford’s Gucci
Gucci's 1995 autumn/winter show goes down in history as one of the most iconic catwalks of the nineties. With Tom Ford as the Creative Director, sales were lifted by 90% as a result of the collection. By 1996 he directed all aspects of the company. For more on Ford’s meteoric rise and his vision of maintaining a sense of the company’s history while updating Gucci’s trademarks read Gucci by Gillion Carrara.
Examine the history and heritage of the Italian luxury fashion brand in this Case study by Zabrena Lopez and Michael B. Beverland from Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases, which explores how an almost 100-year-old icon of leather goods and fashion rebranded itself as an empire of “modern luxury”.
Runway Rebels: John Galliano and Alexander McQueen
London-based designers John Galliano and Alexander McQueen are celebrated for their pioneering and boundary-pushing careers. Both designers took fashion show theatrics to the next level in the 1990s, creating shows so dramatic and controversial that it launched their careers—and changed the fashion show status quo.
Read more about the historical influences behind the notorious shows of these contemporary designers in this chapter by Lorynn Divita from Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.
Watch footage of these iconic shows from Bloomsbury Fashion Video Archive in this ‘Boundary Pushing Designers’ compilation video from our YouTube channel.
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