Fashion always repeats itself; there is the theory that fashion trends run in cycles of about twenty years, and judging by the Sping Summer 2009 catwalks, this seems like it could be true.
As well as the dominating references to the ‘80s, there were also many hints that the early '90s are starting to make a comeback as the fashion era of choice. Don’t be afraid, it’s not as awful as it sounds.
The Early Nineties
This not actually being the early ‘90s, but a more knowing 2009 means designers are borrowing elements from that era without making us all look like characters from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
We saw several wearable examples on the catwalks. The rave culture of the time leant itself to neon, tight fitting clothes, cropped tops and cycling shorts, as recreated by House of Holland S/S '09. The '90s love of animal prints was also prevalent, with Roberto Cavalli sending whole leopard print ensembles down the catwalk as part of his Just Cavalli collection.
The Grunge Trend
The alternative key trend of the era, which was more heavily represented on the catwalks, was grunge. Just as punks could be seen as a generation rebelling against their hippie ‘60s predecessor, the grunge generation was a stark contrast to the new romantic and power dressing of the '80s that came before it.
Both the punk and grunge fashion movements were heavily inspired by the music of the time. Grunge bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mud Honey and Hole championed the nonchalant, layered, un-groomed casual look that became so popular.
Grunge for S/S ‘09
The modern grunge that was seen on the S/S ’09 catwalks has a more structured feel. As shown by Balmain and Diesel, the denim is still distressed and ripped but the jeans are not as baggy, they're more fitted with a high waist band, in keeping with that trend of the season.
Ashish and Alexander Wang sent models in oversized T-shirts and jumpers down the catwalk. The de-rigeur checked shirt, which is an instantly recognisable piece of the grunge trend, was there, along with baseball caps but these pieces were mixed with killer heels to bring a feminine edge.
The best thing about modern grunge is that it can be recreated very easily. The trend consists of easy to wear outfits that are brilliant for those summer days when you just don’t feel like donning shoulder pads and a waist belt. Simply throw on some denim shorts and a checked shirt and you’re done, while also being bang on trend.
 |
