It’s not every day I do back-to-back entries here on the same subject. But it happens to be the birthday today of the one true Kylie that’s still on top after all these years, so how about a post on some of her hits from way, way back? (Hey, it’s also Throwback Thursday!)
THE song that introduced me to her! I was only a kid, but whoever played the music at my birthday parties and family gatherings back then had pretty good taste because I remember hearing this. (And seeing the old folks at said family gatherings bust their hips to this š)
Her early 90s stuff gets so slept on, so I’m more than happy to boost them! Whoever said she never did a track with a rapper has never listened to “Shocked”.
And after seeing a bit of this on her Netflix docuseries, I had to include the full version here! Her and sister Dannii are pretty good here, and I’m always a sucker for campy 80s glamour.
Cindy Crawford wearing Gucci, on US Elle magazine, March 1996
I touched on this in a previous entry, but the fashions of Spring 1996 really deserve its own entry! Not only did the runways that season boast color and prints across the board, the consensus seemed to be easygoing, natural, yet chic and modern. This was not fast fashion soaked in muted neutrals and mid quality (at best), nor was it frumpy, dumpy, or cheap-looking. Then again, unlike the past couple of years, 1996 was a pretty good year, if you ask me. (More about this later.) And pretty good times, coupled with an economy on the rise, call for pretty good fashion.
Versace Ready-to-Wear (RTW), Spring 1996Ā
(Amber Valetta was practically the face of spring ’96 fashion!)Ā
Chanel RTW, spring 1996Ā
(Also, Yasmeen Ghauri had THE body for all the clothes then!)Ā
Calvin Klein RTW, spring 1996
Todd Oldham RTW Spring 1996
Versus by Versace, spring 1996
Oscar de la Renta, Spring 1996
Valentino RTW, spring 1996
Ellen Tracy, spring 1996
Gucci RTW, Spring 1996
(This look above, by the way, is something I’ve tried to replicate for reals. I got plenty of black tops; it was trying to find a skirt that looked similar that was a challenge. Why are there so many frilly beige tradwife on the prairie-looking ass maxi skirts around?! Only until I went to a Bloomingdales did I find it–and on clearance! I paid around $25 for a colorful silk (?) A-line skirt that originally went for around $100. No thigh-high slit on the side, but it still works.)
The many geek chic looks of Prada RTW, spring 1996
Prior to spring 1996, there had been retro revivals in the previous collections, from the disco glamour of fall 1994, to Hollywood’s golden age for spring 1995, and 60’s mod style for fall 1995. Though the 90s arrived during the grunge era of the early 90s, I feel like the decade finally found its own glamour that spring.
The colors, the craftsmanship, the effortless chic…simply gorgeous and timeless. Give me all of it!
Note: the ad campaign pics were pulled from this website. Bookmark it if you’re a lover of 90s fashion ads/editorials like me!Ā
Penelope Cruz photographed by the late, great Herb Ritts for US Vogue, March 2001
When this cover hit newsstands 25 years ago this month, I gasped in awe. Not because of topless Penelope–that part didnāt catch my eye, actually. But it was the sultry pulchritude of Penelope with the blurb āThe Power Of Beautyā that did. For as long as Iāve been reading womenās/fashion magazines, plenty of them, but especially Anna Wintourās Vogue, have often touted beige-skinned, blue-eyed blondes with the thin lips and thinner hips as the ābeauty idealā. As a gullible teen who was none of that, there were times when those discriminating messages got to me. (Looking back at that, I wouldnāt be surprised if the ass-backwards rich white males that owned Conde Nast and Hearst influenced that racist bullshit in my fashion/womenās titles.)Ā
Then here comes Penelope, with her dark hair, brown eyes, sunkissed skin, and full lips, fronting Vogueās March 2001 issue. Her look was the antithesis of the Paltrows and Kidmans of Hollywood, and I adored her upon first sight. Penelope instantly joined my list of beauty idols of the time: Lucy Liu (the lone female Asian star at the time), Jessica Alba, Tyra Banks, and Catherine Zeta-Jones (who would get her own Vogue cover later that year), to name a few. I think I bought two copies of that issue–one to read and one that I left sealed in its plastic wrapping for keepsakes. (These were days when Vogueās March and September issues were, like, 700 pages and came with a supplemental issue, thus the plastic wrapping). I still have both issues to this day.Ā
By the way, I remember reading the readersā letters of that issue (remember those sections?), and one reader did complain about Penelope being topless on the cover. For me, I found it a lot more tasteful and classy than, oh, Melania Trump wearing a full wedding gown on her cover in 2005. And donāt get me started on those who later got Vogue covers that shouldnāt have gotten them in the first place *cough*Nicki*cough*
(Side note: this could be the last month I do these throwback magazine cover posts, but if I find something good for next monthā¦š)
Charles Barkley on George magazine, February/March 1996
I have this issue! Got it for $1 at Half Price Books a while back. Sir Charles looking like George Washington ready to hit the hardwood sans jersey caught my eye, but knowing Barkley and how opinionated he is, I had to read his (dated) interview. Here’s a snippet of it as he talks with the late John F. Kennedy Jr. about (among other things) wanting to run for Governor of Alabama (his home state), and what he thought about the OJ Simpson verdict:
I first heard of Gia Carangi in 1999, in the book Models: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women by Michael Gross. That led me to finding an old Vanity Fair article on her, which led me to getting her biography Thing Of Beauty by Stephen Fried. Safe to say, I was fascinated by her. She had a look that drew me in, but she led a life that made me sit down and read all about it. A rough childhood that saw abuse, neglect, and a divorce from her parents. An adolescence where she would discover her true self (and sexuality). A fast rise in the modeling industry–a feat considering that blue-eyed blondes a la Christie Brinkley and Jerry Hall were the standard. A top model by nineteen, only for her vices and inner demons to get the best of her, resulting in her freefall from the industry by 22. She would be one of the first notable women to perish from AIDS in 1986 at just 26 years old. Yet amidst all the cautionary tales about models, hers still remains one of the more memorable.
I actually read about Gia first before watching her biopic starring Angelina Jolie. And seeing that she was openly bisexual intrigued teen me then, as I had begun questioning my own sexuality at the time. I knew I was attracted to guys, but girls started piquing my interest. (The movie was a double whammy for me when I would also find out that Angelina herself was also Bi.) I’d eventually come out as Bi in my early 20s, and to this day, Gia is one of my Bicons. She was attractive, problematic, and tragic, which all made her to be iconic in my book.
Today would’ve been Gia’s 66th birthday. šļø And while I knew she was a major Blondie fan, TIL she appeared in the “Atomic” music video!
When I started posting vintage magazine covers here, I didn’t have a January entry as I started this thing in February. It didn’t take long to find a cover to complete the year of entries, and seeing this image has me thinking two things. One: remember when US magazine was a monthly entertainment title and not the tabloid rag that it devolved into? And two: that cover is as mid-1990s as you can get. I can smell the CK One perfume insert from here.
Princess Diana by Patrick Demarchelier for US Harper’s Bazaar, December 1995
One thing I noticed while doing these throwback cover entries is that almost every cover star I’ve talked about remains relevant to this day. Even if Britney and Christina never release another new album, they’re still icons and we still talk about them one way or another. Celebrity in the 90s/early 2000s remains top-tier, and Diana remains the most famous face of the 90s, IMO. It’s pure coincidence that she gave an exclusive cover story to Bazaar, which, thirty years later, would get an exclusive cover story from her future daughter-in-law, who herself is also globally famous and has faced her share of media scrutiny. (Side note: the Dec. 2025 issue of Bazaar was the only cover this month that was fine. All the others looked rough as hell. The same can be said for the comments about Meghan’s cover, but that’s another rant for another day.)Ā
Cindy Crawford on the debut issue of George magazine, October/November 1995.Ā
There was something both fun yet absurd about George magazine. I understood why the magazine wanted to marry politics with celebrity/pop culture stuff of the time, but given what became of politics since its debut issue 30 years ago, maybe they should’ve left politics as usual aka boring, but functional and for the people. I have one back issue (the February/March 1996 issue, to be exact, and I’ll try to find a scan/post on this soon) that talked about how each of the 1996 would-be presidential candidates would benefit from some plastic surgery. Only in this country did (and still do) we need our politics to go the sensationalist, tabloid-esque route to get people’s attention, even if the issue at hand does not benefit the average American. Like, OK, Bob Dole would look better with “$6K veneer caps”. And what was his stance on universal health care again?Ā
However, I cannot tell a lie: George had some fire covers, their debut issue included. Cindy Crawford as George Washington in a midriff-baring outfit is just genius. Her wig game was even on-point!Ā
Shalom Harlow and Amber Valetta on US Vogue, September 1995.Ā
I was too young to remember what the average woman was wearing 30 years ago. (I was eleven and was more focused on building my pog collection than what Vogue wanted me to wear that season.) It’s a given that the well-to-dos had the latest from the Paris and Milan runways, but I don’t recall my mom or aunts or teachers sporting Gucci’s silk shirts or Calvin’s satin dresses. For those who still own one or a few of those pieces from that season, I legit envy them because those clothes are classy and ageless. Some 90s pieces look dated, but almost everything from Fall 1995 could be worn today and still be stylish. Cases in point:Ā
Outfits from Calvin Klein’s Fall 1995 show
Ralph Lauren’s Fall 1995 show
Dolce & Gabbana, Fall 1995
Yves Saint Laurent ready-to-wear, Fall 1995
And since pics won’t do justice, three of my favorite collections from that season…
OK, Mugler’s collection may not be for everyday wear (unless you’re Bai Ling), but everything about that show remains STUN to this day!Ā
