A few things have happened recently which have made me think that ‘grunge’ might just be coming back to wrap its mohair cardigan covered arms around us. Backstage at the Topman show at London Fashion Week I spoke with Martine Rose, one of the Topman designers. When I asked what had inspired her collection she simply said “Kurt Cobain wearing a dress“. I knew exactly what she meant and I immediately thought of Kurt’s iconic cover shot for The Face from way back in 1993. I cherished my copy of that issue, it was one of the first issues of The Face I had ever bought – in fact I still have it. Kurt was the reluctant spokesperson for grunge so already the idea was planted in my head…
Next up is a new TV show I’ve become obsessed with called American Horror Story. Evan Peters plays Tate, a troubled kid who appears to be doing his very best Kurt Cobain impression (and a pretty good Rick Genest Zombie Boy impression too). From his unkempt hair to his array of stripy tops, oversized jumpers, apathetic slogan t-shirts and mohair cardigans; grunge has never looked so good.
So where do we go for this look? Well, to the man who first put it on the runway of course – Marc Jacobs. In 1992 Marc Jacobs created a grunge collection for Perry Ellis where he then worked. Despite being tremendously popular it proved so controversial it eventually led to him being fired. Marc’s aesthetic has always had a touch of slouchy grunge to it and that’s one of the reasons why I love his clothes. In 1992 I cobbled together my own approximation of that collection from the sale rail in Gap, but now in 2011 I’m going straight to the source. Marc by Marc Jacobs flannel shirts, stripy tops and (the holy grail of all grunge looks) the angora cardigan…
Now all I need to do is stop washing my hair, dodge Courtney Love and buy tickets to see the Smashing Pumpkins reunion tour and BOOM, it’s 1992 all over again…
