Grunge revival: Music & Fashion
Grunge once dominated the charts and catwalks – read on to find out how this is happening once again.
Grunge and the world of fashion might have seemed like unlikely bedfellows in the 1990s but the musical movement had a huge influence on what people wore. Spearheaded by the likes of the scene’s golden couple Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, grunge ended the tyranny of late 80s shoulderpads and sparkles.
And it’s a case of back to the future for the fashion world, with the resurgence in grunge music and bands again being reflected on catwalks around the world. Read on to find out how these two trends have become entangled once again, which designers are at the forefront of the movement and how to do a 2013 fashion take on 90’s grunge.
Musical revival
Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney…the list of grunge icons from the 90s is endless and loomed large over the genre for years. Growing out of the Seattle alternative scene, Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten albums sent the sound mainstream, bringing with it the cultural influence that changed fashion around the world.
And once again grunge bands are raising their head above the parapet and being heard by mainstream audiences. Biffy Clyro are one of the biggest bands in Britain, attracting a huge following and music that sounds like grunge via the filter of the west of Scotland.
Bands like Pulled Apart By Horses and Enter Shikari have also received excellent press recently and have steadily climbed the bills of summer festivals. Back in its American heartland, Merchandise are one of the most hyped bands in years, with their grunge-indebted, reverb-heavy sound attracting audiences from coast to coast.
Cultural crossover
90s grunge was characterised by checked shirts, ripped jeans and a disregard for the sanitation of much of the prevailing looks of the time. Just as it bent designers to its will then, this desire to eschew the delicacy of popular fashion has once more changed the clothes of today.
Alexander McQueen was one of the first designers to bring grunge back to the spotlight, with his Autumn/Winter 2010 collection heavily influenced by the scene. Full of baggy, patchwork tops and styled disregard for authority, it helped revitalise fellow brands’ interest in the look.
The respected Ann Demeulemeester has also returned to the iconic grunge look over the last few years, with the respected designer’s recent lines featuring numerous drop-from-the-hip trousers and flowing tops.
Saint Laurent have built on these 90s vibes, with designer Hedi Slimane’s recent Autumn/Winter line. Whilst winning over the likes of Courtney Love with her chic reworking of grunge classics, others have been less understanding of his ‘ordinary’ designs.
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