Lecture 5 – 1990’s partII
Minimalism
Realism
Grunge
Edgy
Heroin chic
Trying to focus on the real side of life whereas it’s positive or negative (being your true self), in
contrast to the 80’s that were more of a façade.
Many different approaches to the underground styles in the 80’s but in the 90’s there’s less
diversity in the underground styles.
Many influencers from the street
Grunge became the main theme – was discovered in Seattle (USA) bands like Nirvana and Pearl
Jam – raw sounds, cacophony)
Grungewear is big downtown – it’s about vintage but in a new/different way, nonchalance, more
about functunality than aesthetics, antifashion.
1992
everything wrong became right → ppl got cloth from thrift shop, dumpsters, used them until they
couldn’t be worn, they’d add patches, …
Time of recession in the US, negative climate.
, Nirvana (band)
- realistic environment
Kurt Cobain (singer)
- flannel shirt (used for workers in the first place) became really fashionable.
- seemed like he never showered, long hair → men and women adopted that look = androgynous
- he killed himself (it was quite common during the 90s)
- became an idol for all the people that also had this feeling of despair
- album “nevermind” is all about this “i don’t care” period
→ these musicians became spokesmen for this generation
melancholic feel
Marc Jacobs benefited from this grunge wave.
He picked up that trend and created his last collection (1992)
He is known for being good at noticing things about
society and translating them in high-fashion. He
mixed high priced fashion to low priced fashion, this
blossomed later on in the 2000s.
Minimalism
Realism
Grunge
Edgy
Heroin chic
Trying to focus on the real side of life whereas it’s positive or negative (being your true self), in
contrast to the 80’s that were more of a façade.
Many different approaches to the underground styles in the 80’s but in the 90’s there’s less
diversity in the underground styles.
Many influencers from the street
Grunge became the main theme – was discovered in Seattle (USA) bands like Nirvana and Pearl
Jam – raw sounds, cacophony)
Grungewear is big downtown – it’s about vintage but in a new/different way, nonchalance, more
about functunality than aesthetics, antifashion.
1992
everything wrong became right → ppl got cloth from thrift shop, dumpsters, used them until they
couldn’t be worn, they’d add patches, …
Time of recession in the US, negative climate.
, Nirvana (band)
- realistic environment
Kurt Cobain (singer)
- flannel shirt (used for workers in the first place) became really fashionable.
- seemed like he never showered, long hair → men and women adopted that look = androgynous
- he killed himself (it was quite common during the 90s)
- became an idol for all the people that also had this feeling of despair
- album “nevermind” is all about this “i don’t care” period
→ these musicians became spokesmen for this generation
melancholic feel
Marc Jacobs benefited from this grunge wave.
He picked up that trend and created his last collection (1992)
He is known for being good at noticing things about
society and translating them in high-fashion. He
mixed high priced fashion to low priced fashion, this
blossomed later on in the 2000s.
