It was the decade of DIY grunge, illegal raves, iconic runway moments, and the Young British Artists. Tate Britain has opened the very first major exhibition to explore the explosive intersection of art, photography, and fashion in 1990s Britain; a transformative era defined by optimism, raw energy, and a defiant, rebellious spirit.
Curated by Edward Enninful OBE
Curated by legendary fashion editor Edward Enninful OBE alongside Tate’s contemporary art team, The 90s: Art and Fashion brings together over 100 photographs, paintings, sculptures, and garments from nearly 70 creators.
Emerging from the gritty economic uncertainty of the late 1980s, the show depicts how a new generation of British creatives embraced imperfection, realness, and a fiercely independent attitude to dismantle traditional ideals of beauty and luxury and permanently reshape Britain’s cultural landscape.
The exhibition spotlights the emergence of an exciting and diverse generation of artistic talent that reshaped Britain’s cultural identity.
From anti-fashion to anarchic nightlife
The exhibition opens with the birth of “anti-fashion” grunge, showcasing legendary photography by Corinne Day, Nigel Shafran, and Juergen Teller for visionary indie style bibles like i-D and Dazed and Confused. It captures iconic pop-culture iconic images such as Kate Moss wearing Liza Bruce’s famous sheer slip dress, alongside the work of artists like Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, and Sam Taylor-Johnson, who captivated the nation with their frank, anarchic approach to class, agency, and identity.
A major focus of the exhibition is the decade’s vibrant, youth-fuelled subcultures:
- Acid house & rave culture: Documented through the lenses of Dave Swindells, Peter J Walsh, Seana Gavin, and Vinca Peterson, capturing payphone-fueled secret parties and euphoric counterculture.
- Club nights across the UK: From Manchester’s legendary Haçienda to London’s Bagley’s, alongside joyful queer night scenes documented by Poulomi Desai and Stuart Linden Rhodes.
- Sound systems & street Culture: Normski, Eddie Otchere, and Ewen Spencer trace the meteoric rise of jungle, hip-hop, and drum and bass, while Elaine Constantine captures the high-octane world of Northampton’s “Boy Racers.”
High concept, body horror, and subverted runway design
Beyond the street and the dance floor, the 1990s sparked stark conceptual movements. The exhibition delves into macabre body horror and gothic decay in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis through works by Hamad Butt, Helen Chadwick, and Jake and Dinos Chapman. In stark contrast, Damien Hirst pushed conceptual boundaries with his pristine, factory-fabricated formaldehyde sculptures, serving as the ultimate counterweight to lo-fi grunge.
The show also celebrates visionary fashion designers who blurred the boundaries between art and high fashion:
- Alexander McQueen: Featured through his provocative, dramatic, and famously nightmarish runway presentations.
- Hussein Chalayan: Showcasing design-led garments inspired by everyday household objects.
- Vivienne Westwood & John Galliano: Closing rooms highlight how these iconic designers borrowed across history and cultures to subvert British national mythology and style.
Challenging the ‘Cool Britannia’ narrative
While the late ’90s were marked by the rise of “Cool Britannia,” the exhibition thoughtfully highlights artists who used their platform to draw attention to those excluded from that mainstream story.
Visitors can experience Steve McQueen’s seminal first film Bear (1993), Chris Ofili’s Turner Prize-winning painting No Woman, No Cry (1998), a poignant tribute to Stephen and Doreen Lawrence, and sharp tailoring from Black British designers including Ozwald Boateng and Joe Casely-Hayford.
The 90s: Art and Fashion offers a rare, comprehensive look at a decade poised between past traditions and an uncertain future, leaving visitors to re-evaluate how the 1990s influenced the creative world we live in today.
Event details:
The 90s: Art and Fashion is at Tate Britain (Millbank, London SW1P 4RG) until 14 February 2027. Tickets £22 / Free for Members. £5 for Tate Collective visitors aged 16–25.