The year was 1992, and Marc Jacobs was then the creative director of Perry Ellis and was about to change the fashion world with a collection that was so divisive that it costed him his job.
Since his tenureship from 1988, Jacobs had been playing it safe and playful, true to his nature of creating pieces that define the polished, cosmopolitan women of 90s NYC. Perry Ellis under his direction was in line with the brand's DNA that never ventured beyond the lines of ultra-feminine silhouettes. That however was challenged by Jacobs for his Spring 1993 fashion showcase in NYC.
Perry Ellis 1991 and 1992
The early 90s introduced a genre or alternative culture of music and style that was rebellious and edgy and was emulated by the youths of that era. The grunge movement was birthed from the West Coast ,mainly derived from the music scene of the same name; by iconic bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana and The L7s and the couldnt-care-less attitudes of its followers dressed in thrift finds, and comfy flannel shirts to match the rainy, moody weather of the Seattle. This idea, along with the popularity of the music scene, was what Marc Jacobs tried to capture in his now infamous SS93 collection. This is one of the first time a mainstream designer brought streetwear aesthetics over to the prestigious fashion world stage, even bringing out glamorous models like Christy Turlington, Naomo Campbell and Kate Moss out decked in beanie hats, bulky combat boots and slouchy long sleeve sweaters. According to Jacobs himself who quipped ;
“I wanted them to look the way they do when they walk down the street, which is not dolled up, I didn’t want them to look like drag queens, and I didn’t want them to look like creatures. That’s the way beautiful girls look today: they look a little bit unconcerned about fashion.”
The collection was met with severe criticism, both from the elite fashion world like Suzy Menkes who handed out "Grunge is Ghastly" pins down to the icons that were the icons of the Grunge subculture themselves - Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love who reportedly burnt the clothes that were gifted to them by Marc Jacobs in protest of the gentrification of their movement.
Despite the backlash and eventually, Marc Jacobs' subsequent firing from the job, the designer went on to become one of the most celebrated talents in the fashion world, even securing the coveted CFDA Awards' Fashion Designer of The Year award and went on to design for one of the biggest fashion houses in the world, Louis Vuitton. The Perry Ellis' 93 Grunge collection was proof of trusting a vision when it may not have been accepted or welcomed by the world but proven to be what fashion desperately needed to innovate and change to adapt to the future.
The Perry Ellis Marc Jacobs Reissue Collection top is now available on the website.
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