Wednesday, July 11, 2012

90s Trends From Fashion Week

Feeling nostalgic for the bubblegum pop days of the late 1980s and 90s? How about grunge, early hip hop and the supermodels? The fashion world sure is. With the past few seasons in fashion has come a slew of 90s inspired styles ranging from sophisticated tailoring and business woman ideals, to a Tumblr inspired teenage wasteland of cartoonish makeup, models and prints. Designers envisioned both hip moody girls with straggly technicolor hair, and strong working mothers with jobs to do, children to raise, and chic business events and parties to attend immediately after. Taking style cues from 90s icons like clueless's Cher, Bart Simpson, Gwen Stefani and Kurt Cobain, cool, colorful and kitschy are three words that come to mind.

The Tumblr generation is definitely a part of the earlier, pop and grunge inspired fashion set- looking to heroes like the always eccentric Jeremy Scott. For Fall 2012, Jeremy Scott's gang was complete with jeweled bindis and angular Gwen looking blonde wigs- with bright streaks of color of course. Where Scott's last collection(spring 2012) was on the fluffier sexier spice girls side of the 90's- the fall collection was all about internet graphics, attitude and surprisingly, Lisa Frank. There were literally screenshots and emoticons printed on dresses and leggings, complimented by a 90s interpretation of 70s glam. A graphic unicorn cutout, corset that looks like it was covered in stickers, and sparkly groovy prints on shiny fabrics! A more sophisticated iridescence has been in order lately from Christopher Kane, who pairs rainbow hombres with smooth black paneling and silhouettes. Prabul Gurung has also been ahead of he 90s curve with pieces swathed in shimmering purple iradesence. This redeaux of sparkly girly 90s things is a fun statement look this season, and appeals to the teenaged and twenty somethings spamming the internet with memorabilia and trendy separates.

Other girly 90s style designs can be seen at Meadham Kirchoff, with pastel clad Courtney Love look-a-likes and too-cute cartoon prints in rich textures. Other trends from the grunge era that have been seen everywhere lately are cropped tops, long skirts, layers, athletic wear, velvet, plaid and Kool-Aid colored hair.

A more sophisticated, darker colored side of the 90s also appeared on runways, blogs and in magazines the past few seasons. Designers like Donna Karan, Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham have busy professional and personal lives, and design for a similar woman. This was personified by sportswear that was either athletic inspired or retro inspired yet highly functional. This idea translated into pieces that converted from daytime to nighttime, bows that functioned as pockets, and a whole new power woman- updated from the 90s heroine in shoulder pads played by Cindy Crawford. Many women on the runways and off during New York Fashion Week and London fashion week were wearing neon versions of these business lady separates- hot pink head to toe on Anna Dello Russo, and lemon yellow blazers everywhere! An even more dramatic heroine was created at L'Wrenn Scott's fall 2012 runway show, one that recall's an Anne Rice vampiric sort of power and decadence.

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