Tate Britain Is Taking Us Back to the Fashion and Freedom of the '90s
Featuring everything from Alexander McQueen’s runway pieces to Juergen Teller’s photography and Tracey Emin’s artwork.
Whether you lived through the decade or not, the 1990s are years that we all seem to constantly reference with a sense of nostalgia. Whether for the fashion, music, culture or simply the lack of social media, there was an undeniable sense of freedom that led to a huge surge in creativity. And now, London’s Tate Britain has opened an exhibition fully dedicated to the decade.
From anti-fashion grunge to Alexander McQueen’s theatrical runway shows, the ’90s were a defining decade for British creativity. The museum is revisiting the era with The 90s: Art and Fashion, the first exhibition to explore the intersection of art, photography and fashion during a period that reshaped the country’s cultural identity.
Curated by ex-British Vogue editor Edward Enninful OBE, the exhibition brings together nearly 70 artists, photographers and designers, with more than 100 works spanning photography, painting, sculpture and fashion. Expect to see work by artists including Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas, alongside iconic imagery by Corinne Day, Juergen Teller and Nigel Shafran, whose raw, DIY approach helped define the decade’s anti-fashion aesthetic.
Beyond the gallery, the show explores the underground scenes that shaped youth culture, from acid house and jungle to queer club nights and free parties. Photography by Ewen Spencer, Seana Gavin and Vinca Peterson captures a generation finding freedom on dance floors across the UK.
Fashion takes center stage through Alexander McQueen’s provocative designs, Hussein Chalayan’s conceptual creations and the work of Black British designers including Ozwald Boateng and Joe Casely-Hayford. Together, these voices challenge the mythology of “Cool Britannia,” offering a more expansive picture of the decade.
Rather than simply romanticising the past, The 90s: Art and Fashion asks what made the era so transformative, and how its creative legacy continues to shape culture today.
Check out some of the pieces on display above, and head to the Tate website to get your tickets for the exhibition, on until February 14, 2027.
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