Seattle’s slept-in, thrifted grunge aesthetic was at its core antifashion. Nonetheless, it held appeal for trend-savvy designers who liked to rattle the status quo. While it’d be incorrect to label Gianni Versace’s Fall 1993 collection grunge per se—he championed a flashy, expensive look that was the movement’s polar opposite—the show did nod to the look’s fashion iterations. Crochet squares went from granny to glammy when Versace applied them to a sheer minidress, while tweed miniskirt suits were layered—a rare sight indeed at Versace where the skin was always in—over printed maxis, leggings, and combat boots. Versace called the look “the new working uniform.”
Grunge-isms aside, the main story was knits. It was signaled from the moment the lights went up and a cadre of models in pastel sweaters worn with long satin skirts paraded down the runway. Zen moment established, the designer was soon exploring the reveal/conceal properties of stretchy knitted fabrics and how they could be combined with novelty hosiery, from striped to fishnet. “We don’t have time for rules anymore,” Versace told Vogue. “Knits are just as appropriate for evening as they are for the office.” Some of his closing looks proved the point.
