Designer Dresses of the 1990s

While the 1970s may have been dubbed “The Me Decade,” fashion individualism didn’t really emerge until the 1990s. Opulence and adherence to every trend—which dominated fashion through the 70’s and 80’s—gave way to a desire for simpler styles, and consumers felt freer to express their own sense of fashion in a more casual way. Ready-to-wear companies like The Gap and Eddie Bauer became household symbols of the decade, appealing to women who wanted comfortable but hip designer clothing.

For some traditional designers, the decade was a challenging time of transition. The power of media exploded: television became a 500 channel universe, usage of the Internet became widespread, and cell phones began appearing on ears in cities all over the world. Madison Avenue started to run in high gear, and marketing became an integral part of the fashion industry. Creating a popular image suddenly became as important as creating popular designs. The wobbly economy of the 1990s also impacted the industry, making it more difficult for aspiring designers to break out, and making established designers more answerable to the bottom line.

But there were some designers that emerged in the 1990s that would have a tremendous impact on the direction of fashion. The Gucci fashion house, established in 1921 by Guccio Gucci, initially specialized in high-end leather goods. But Guccio’s children expanded the family business, and by 1970 the company sold many different items. But the Gucci image underwent its most dramatic transformation after the family handed control of the company over to Invest Corp, which hired Tom Ford (a then-unknown designer) in 1994 to make Gucci a fashion powerhouse. Ford’s designer dresses, men’s wear, perfumes, and other visionary ideas—such as a string of boutiques and innovative advertising campaigns—made Gucci one of the best known and most respected high fashion brands. In 1998, the European Business Press Federation named Gucci the European Company of the Year.

Prada also emerged as a taste-maker in the 1990s. Like Gucci, Prada was founded in the 1920s. Also like Gucci, it originally sold leather goods. It didn’t begin to sell designer clothing until Miuccia Prada, whose uncle founded the company, established a women’s fashion line that became known for its simple yet elegant designs. In 1995, Miuccia was named Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

In all, the 1990’s marked a turning point in fashion, bringing historical emphasis on style and design forward into the new digital age.