90s Fashion: The Era of Celebrity, Glamour and Style

The 80s was very much my era because it was when I discovered wonderful music, TV shows, films and books but when it comes to style and clothes, it was all about 90s baby. I was in my 20s during this time and I came of age by trying out different looks and discovering what suited me. BBC 4's fashion offering, Style on Trial - which is like a chronicle of the fashion decades - had it's penultimate show last night. They covered the 90s and with a panel that consisted of Mica Paris, Pearl Lowe and Ben de Lisi we were taken back to an era that embraced Britannia and celebrity. This was the decade when the country dipped into recession and we spent a good few years rebelling from the 80s and dressing down in t-shirts and jeans. It was also when grunge and acid house ruled the airwaves as well as the catwalk. I didn't like the Seattle born grunge with the matted hair, large over sized jumpers along with DMs. I just couldn't understand why anyone would want to spend all that time looking like a scruff. To me there was nothing chic about it and I was relieved when we moved onto something else.

That something else was high end glamour - ironically the complete opposite of grunge. Up there riding the crest waves was the enigmatic Gianni Versace whose glamorous and sexy dresses lead to the explosion of celebrity endorsed fashion. All the celebs loved Versace and he loved them back and decked them out in his opulent gowns - who can forget Elizabeth Hurley in that black dress held together with safety pins? Genius. This era was also about branding; marketeers reinvented themselves and logos began to symbol a lot more than a slick graphic. However the Labour government took this strategy to a new level and repositioned themselves as the cool party with an ethos that everyone wanted to be part off. Hence the birth of Cool Britannia and all that came with it. Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit on the cover Vanity Fair was just the tip of the iceberg. However, the epitome of the 90s was the trend in pick and mix fashion where fashionistas began to wear luxury labels with high street along with a dash of second hand.