Koopok Blog: Grunge Fashion

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Grunge Fashion

Who would have thought that ugly plaid shirts and sweaters with holes in them could leave such a lasting impression..?? I think it's the nostalgia and overall love for that period in time that does it for me -- from the clothes, to the mood, and of-course, the music. I was about 16 years old, listening to bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Temple of the Dog, and Nirvana. Oh, and the soundtrack to the perfectly grunge movie Singles -- which was released in 1992.

I remember going to see this at the old $1 movie theatre with my girlfriends. This was in prime time when the whole Seattle / Grunge scene really exploded. This movie though is such a reminder to me of my teenager years, really brings me back. Others in that list are: Clueless, The Craft, Dazed & Confused, The Crow, and some shitty Jean Claude Van Damme movies. Hey, me and my girlfriend used to looooove watching Van Damme, hahaa. Although when you watch his old movies now you realize how truely bad they are. Maybe they're just dated is all...?? *sigh*, this blog entry is making me feel old.

"Heeeeeeeey"

But Singles really captured that whole grunge time period.

The film even included many famous cameos, and even some of the key bands from the Seattle music scene at that time such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and even had Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam posing as members of Matt Dillon's fictional band Citizen Dick. Speaking of famous cameos, I just read that Tim Burton had a part in the movie; played a character named Brian. I can't seem to fully remember him in the movie...?? I might have to re-watch it just because of this..!! I don't mind though. I'd say that this is still a favourite...

ps: I want this t-shirt.

When I think of grunge fashion I think of babydoll dresses...

Dr. Martens...

Plaid shirts...

and weird outfits like this:

I remember mixing the long flowy button-up floral dresses with long-johns on (and showing) underneath, layered with those heavy wool 'working man' socks, and black lace-up boots.

And I didn't mind too much when grunge became more fashionable and was showing up in Vogue and on the runways. I think since I was always such a big fan of fashion and fashion magazines I kind of enjoyed their interpretations. Even though really, this went against the whole grunge look and what it meant. You were going against large corporations, and weren't supposed to be buying your flannel shirts from Marc Jacobs or Ralph Lauren, but from thrift stores instead, etc etc. It was all about angry rebellious teen angst..!!

Here are some images from the high-end fashion industries versions on grunge:

Steven Meisel's 'Grunge and Glory' editorial, Vogue 1992

The models I remember most from the whole 90s Supermodel era, and one's who were representing the grunge look were...

Kristen McMenamy:

She really caused quite the stir back then when she shaved all her eyebrows off. Actually, I think it was that move that really pushed her into the spotlight.

Kate Moss:

She of-course was well known for her waif appearance.

Nadja Auermann:

I don't know how 'grunge' she was, but when I think of her I right away think of the early 90s. She was well known for her ultra blonde hair and long legs.

Kate Moss and Nadja for an old D&G ad in the 90s.

One of my ultimate favourite ads of Nadja Auermann was the Blumarine Campaign, 1994.

Ummmm, seriously! I reeeeeally want to start wearing a bonnet. hahahaaa... I've always loved the way they looked. I might even try the above looks for the next edition of the Copycat fashion experiment. :)