1
Alexander McQueen Spring 1999
1999 runways
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Presented to a crowd of friends, buyers, and press, but no celebrities—apparently, he turned Victoria Beckham away—the No. 13 show was all about the art itself. Merging influences from the arts and crafts movement with the prosthetic advancements of World War I, the looks balanced neutral hues, natural materials, and powerful armor. Today, the show is primarily remembered for its breathtaking grand finale, in which Shalom Harlow spun on a moving platform between frozen robots who slowly gained consciousness and started spraying her simple dress with black and yellow paint. Stumbling back after the bots released her, Harlow walked up to the audience and presented herself in surrender. McQueen himself famously said it was his only collection that ever made him cry.
2
John Galliano Spring 1999
1999 runways
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For the Spring 1999 season, John Galliano’s models were encouraged to dance, act, and let their emotions out on the runway. Making their way through male models lying down in loincloths, they were dressed in decadent textiles and bias-cut silks—referencing ancient Rome and the paintings of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Deep rich hues and light sheer fabrics came together for a dynamic collection, and moody makeup and bare feet brought it all together.
3
Anna Sui Spring 1999
1999 runways
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With her grunge spirit, vintage sensibilities, and youthful, feminine lens, Anna Sui defined the ‘90s. So much so that 25 years after the decade closed, Rizzoli would release a book all about it: The Nineties × Anna Sui. For her Spring 1999 collection, models such as Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, and Maggie Rizer walked the runway with picnic basket bags, patchwork shorts and skirts, embroidered denim, and graphic tees.
4
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 1999
1999 runways
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Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 1999 collection borrowed aesthetics from a handful of different cultures, turning to Japanese tailoring and Greco-Roman sculptures for inspiration. From a black-and-white silk charmeuse sheath dress printed with a trompe l’oeil statue (that’s now on view at the Costume Institute’s “Costume Art” exhibit) to interpretations of kimonos that certainly read as cultural appropriation today, the collection was so theatrical and bold that people are still talking about it 27 years later.
5
Gucci Spring 1999 by Tom Ford
Leaning into a Summer of Love vibe, Tom Ford’s Spring 1999 collection for Gucci gave the high-fashion hippies something to aspire to. Bright, bold, eccentric, and celebratory, the collection featured vibrant floral prints, leather jackets, embellished denim, and itty-bitty bikinis alike.
6
Prada Spring 1999
1999 runways
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Pulling clichés from the hyper-trendy hippie styles and turning them on their heads, Miuccia Prada presented a Spring 1999 collection that played with irony and deconstruction. Broken mirror appliqués, fanny packs, and an overarching athletic undertone walked down the runway. “At the time there was a revival of hippie style, so the entire collection was an ironic comment on the current trend for hippie fashions,” she said years later when discussing the collection for the Met’s “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” exhibit. “My collection included all the clichés of hippie fashions such as mirrors and flowers, but totally destroyed them at the same time. In reality, it was the least hippie collection imaginable.”
7
Chloé Spring 1999 and Fall 1999 by Stella McCartney
1999 runways
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Stella McCartney’s 1999 collections for Chloé merged high and low design techniques. For spring, the creative director turned playful motifs and airbrushed tourist tees into luxurious statement pieces paired with silks, corsetry, and lace. The following season, she put a winter spin on this idea, with velvet, knit, and wool fabrics. Retro-inspired capes and hats contrasted with shimmering sequins, sheer tops, and bedazzled tigers.
8
Calvin Klein Spring 1999 and Fall 1999
1999 runways
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Calvin Klein’s 1999 collections were cool, sexy, and sophisticated—with jersey dresses, sporty suiting looks, sheer tanks, and pops of color for spring, and neutral hues, leathers, and pristine tailoring in the fall. Though she hadn’t been working at the label for three years by this point, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was still synonymous with Calvin Klein, and it’s easy to see why.
9
Comme des Garçons Fall 1999
1999 runways
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The models for Rei Kawakubo’s Fall 1999 collection for Comme des Garçons walked the runway in silence—letting the clothes do all the talking. And they had a lot to say. Layers of tartan wrapped around the shoulders, oversized bows adorning dresses, and geometric prints contrasting with simple gray tailoring, the line put a twist on traditional codes of femininity, with a loud punk energy.
10
Chanel Haute Couture Fall 1999
1999 runways
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Karl Lagerfeld’s Fall 1999 Couture collection for Chanel, which sat in the middle of his 36-year-long tenure, the creative director dressed his models in fresh takes on the label’s codes—namely relaxed suiting ensembles and little black dresses. Karen Elson wore a red puffy quilted dress, Naomi Campbell walked in a crochet set, and Devon Aoki closed the show in a hooded white cape. Let’s just forget that Diddy sat front row.
11
Louis Vuitton Fall 1999 by Marc Jacobs
1999 runways
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Marc Jacobs’s first collection for Louis Vuitton showed during the Fall 1998 season. The following year, he presented this autumnal collection that was all about massive bags. Getting together a supermodel cohort to walk the runway, the designer dressed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Gisele Bündchen, and Stella Tennant in classic knits and vibrant capacious accessories.
12
Dior Haute Couture Fall 1999 by John Galliano
1999 runways
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John Galliano’s couture collection for the Fall 1999 season was inspired by The Matrix, romanticism, and the idea of “evil,” sending models down the Versailles runway in warrior looks, animal heads, and decadent pearls alike. Part historic and part futuristic, it was eerie, fantastical, and dramatic—everything you’d hope for from couture. Of course, Galliano’s Spring 1999 Haute Couture collection for Dior was also noteworthy (see bottom left), with its decadent surrealism and playful, costumier touches (i.e. the grapes above).
13
Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Fall 1999
1999 runways
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In July 1999, Paco Rabanne presented his final haute couture collection. Part of the Fall 1999 season, it marked the end of a 33-year run of couture shows. And the designer certainly went out with a bang. Futuristic and geometric, the runway saw models such as Adriana Lima and Alek Wek walk in spikes, armor, and the house’s signature chainmail detailing.
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