The 1990’s was a thrilling decade in the world of fashion.  A multitude of unforgettable fashion shows took place.  Important turning points in fashion occurred in the 90’s including grunge, minimalism, and glam.  These new advances would forever shape the future of fashion.  Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada are just a few of the major designers who were producing stunning and sensational designs at this time.

In 1992, Madonna walked with Jean Paul Gaultier at a fashion show.  Two years earlier, she had first worn the famous cone bra which was created by him.  At this show, they shocked the audience when she removed her jacket to expose her bare chest.  This had been relatively unseen before on a runway.  The crowd couldn’t believe the spectacle.  Madonna made a huge statement at this show that everyone would remember.  The fashion world was influenced by this display of what could be shown on the runway. 

One of the most influential and shocking runway shows that represented the 90’s was the Perry Ellis Spring 1993 Grunge Collection.  At this time, grunge and alternative music was becoming very popular with the younger crowd.  For this collection, Marc Jacobs designed a line that included flannel shirts, printed dresses, Doc Martens boots, and knitted skullcaps. The Perry Ellis brand thought this was a terrible mistake and quickly decided to fire Jacobs.  Little did they know, the show would become an extremely successful representation of the remarkable era.  Marc Jacobs created a label with this collection with Robert Duffy. It was also placed into the French goods house Louis Vuitton.
Another major turning point of fashion in this time period occurred during the Prada spring 1996 collection.  Prada created a new and wildly geeky look in this collection.  The fashion show reintroduced colors that had not been popular since the 70’s.  Diverse patterns and unique fabrics were mixed together to create a mismatched, clashing look.  Clunky shoes and sandals were paired with the clothing in the show, which soon became popular with people in the 90’s.  This show was unlike anything Prada had done before. 

An entertaining spectacle took place at the Chanel spring 1994 show.  A look that had never been seen before was created with large, baggy shorts and suspenders.  The models were made up to look boyish and strode the runway wearing roller skates.  This creative display motivated other major designers to brainstorm and create new, unique fashion shows. 

At a Gianni Versace show, for the AW91 collection, he asked several famous supermodels including Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell to walk the runway in his collection while lip syncing to the song “Freedom” by George Michael.  Versace was extraordinarily imaginative with this idea to create entertainment in his show. 

Designers all over the world were creating exciting and innovative looks that captured the essence of the 1990’s.  The styles worn by the young generation at this time resembled many things that could be seen in a multitude of the haute couture fashion shows.  This included grunge looks, mismatched clothing, vintage pieces, and many other odd styles.  The 1990’s was an entertaining and exciting time in the fashion industry that we still take a large amount of inspiration from today.