From Sidewalk to Catwalk

So I haven't written on here in a couple of days as I have been busy researching into, what I believe to be, very important fashion masterminds of the 90s! To be frank it became a bit of an issue finding anyone singing the praises of fashion stylists, photographers and designers of the 90s as most people seem to be utterly repulsed by the colour clashing cults that thrived in the day. After a little bit of research and a heads up from my tutor I came across Ted Polhemus; a writer and photographer who specialises in fashion, anti fashion, identity and the way a person expresses themselves through style. When finding out Ted based a lot of his work on the 90s, I ran to the library only to find his book 'Street Style' published in 1994!

Instantly I couldn't put the book down, from b-boys and flygirls to ravers and indie kids. This style dictionary had every thing a girl doing a project on 90s fashion could need! I instantly connected with Ted's writing style and I fell in love with his photography. I was amazed by how each image seemed so natural and showed the nitty gritty of the 90s, not just a clean fake portrayal of the 90s.                                                       

When looking deeper into Ted's work I became more and more aware on how important street fashion was in the 90s. It seemed to give people some sort of freedom and a right to say what they want through the way they look. What with social and economic times being hard, I think people started to have a 'I don't care' attitude or 'How much will it take to shock you?' opinion. These ideas are captured in Ted's work. I love the idea that ordinary peoples styles from the street influenced some of the biggest names in fashion and this then changed the catwalk. How amazing is that? Looking at 90s 'Street Style' has given me huge inspiration to create realistic, natural 90s fashion shoots. I don't just wanna capture fashion I want to capture feeling, emotion and power.