The Most Memorable Runway Moments From The '90s
Looking back at the decade that defined the runway
From the rise of supermodels to the best collections by Chanel, McQueen, and more.
Versace F/W 1991
Versace's Fall 1991 show was credited for bringing the Supers to the runway. It's not that these models were strangers to the catwalk, but after this presentation every "It" show had to have as many of these popular faces as possible.
Versace S/S 1994
It doesn't get more iconic than the safety-pin dresses from Gianni's Spring '94 collection.
Chanel S/S 1991
Karl Lagerfeld started having a lot more fun with Chanel in the late 1980s and early '90s, breaking away from the house's old-school image.
Chanel S/S 1991
Chanel-branded everyday objects have now become a staple of the house, but they were a totally new concept back in the 90s.
Chanel F/W 1991
Lagerfeld also began pulling inspiration from more youthful references, like his his-hop inspired collection for Fall '91, which featured heavy gold chains, and baseball caps.
Vivienne Westwood F/W 1993
Throughout the '90s, Westwood played with notions of Anglomania and historical costumes by pushing traditional silhouettes to the extreme — sometimes to the detriment of her models. Naomi Campbell famously took a tumble in '93 (don't worry, she was fine and even all-smiles after), making many wonder if the pro's can't handle the height, what hope do the rest of us have?
Vivienne Westwood 1995
Westwood also put a cheeky twist on high fashion by playing with sexuality in her shows. This wasn't the first time Moss was topless for Westwood (she bared all at the fall 1994 show), but that image of her eating an ice cream bar is one of the most memorable.
Jean-Paul Gaultier, 1992
Another famous provocateur? Jean-Paul Gaultier, who tapped longtime collaborator Madonna to appear in a topless creation on a charity runway in 1992.
Christian Lacroix Haute Couture S/S 1991
High fashion in the early '90s was a time of feminine excess, and no designer captured this more than Christian Lacroix, who favoured mixing sumptuous fabrics with over-the-top silhouettes.
John Galliano 1992
John Galliano burst onto the fashion scene in the early '90s with bias-cut dresses and romantic styles.
Dior Haute Couture, S/S 1998
By the time he took over Dior, Galliano had learned the best way to show off his lavish designs was to put them into even more lavish settings. For Spring '98, that included having all his models gathered on the stairs of the Palais Garnier opera house for his grand finale.
Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture, 1999
Though Tom Ford had taken over designing YSL's ready-to-wear line by the late '90s, Saint Laurent himself was still crafting the couture collections, including this wedding dress from 1999.
Thierry Mugler S/S 1992
Known for his over-the-top tendencies, Thierry Mugler outdid himself in 1992 with a collection that was more about "contraptions" than clothing.
Calvin Klein F/W 1999
One enduring style of the '90s was minimalism, which not only saw sleek silhouettes, but also championed the anti-supermodel. Designers like Calvin Klein favoured the faces of Kate Moss, Kirsten Owen, and Stella Tennant over their glamazon counterparts.
Helmut Lang F/W 1996
Helmut Lang's Fall '96 show brought a touch of gold to the front row, when the designer passed out foil blankets to showgoers.
Chloe S/S 1998
Spring 1998 was Stella McCartney's first show for Chloe, and she made a splash in the press by not only hiring supermodels like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, but also by having her father, Sir Paul McCartney, cheering from the front row.
Yohji Yamamoto S/S 1993
The Japanese designers that took Paris by storm in the 1980s found continued creative success in the 90s.
Margiela F/W 1995
Martin Margiela began obstructing model's faces as a cost-saving measure, but the practice became a hallmark of the designer's mythology.
Comme Des Garcons S/S 1997
Though Rei Kawakubo had numerous monumental shows during this decade, by far her most famous was "Body Meets Dress, Dress Meets Body," more commonly referred to at the "Lumps and Bumps" collection.
Hussein Chalayan S/S 1998
Hussein Chalayan's shows are often "moments" thanks to his inventive, surprising designs. He courted controversy for his Spring 98 show by using fashion as commentary on religious dress.
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