Heroin Chic.

The drug culture of fashion.

Glamorizing the use of Heroin through iconic fashion models and brands.

Media labelled this era “fashions most controversial trend”.

Characterized by pale skin, dark eye circles, and angular bone structure, Kate Moss definitely took the limelight throughout this 90’s "cynical trend".

Moving into the 21st century and the trend can still be referenced in Fashion, a recent 2016 Gucci Campaign “Gucci has stirred controversy with a short film and images to promote their Spring/Summer 2016 collection that appear to reference a notorious cult film about drug addiction.”

Gucci caused controversy with this S/S 2016 ad campaign which is inspired by the cult film Christiane F; the film tells the true story of a 14-year-old heroin addict and prostitute in the Berlin drug scene, the Gucci campaign uses several visuals which suggest their inspiration is from the film, firstly the location of the shoot is at Bahnhof Zoo where character sells her body in original film, and the model which Gucci uses Polina Oganicheva is a clear representation of the girl in the film Christiane F, through the auburn hair and pale skin.

Controversy of this trend / style and homage to the era.

'Given Gucci's SS16 campaign is aimed at a younger audience, is it responsible for a global fashion brand to be seen to be glamourizing substance abuse?’

I think without reading into the editorial or if you had not watched the influencing film then you wouldn’t distinguish the editorial instantly as being heroin chic, in comparison to one of GUCCI’s earlier campaign’s S/S 1997 where models are blatantly laid like scenes from the film ‘trainspotting’ with the exact heroin chic characteristics.

Fabric glossary:

- Jersey, the cropped top 'smiley' rave face era

- Denim, heroin chic highwaisted, boyfriend jean

- Sheer fabrics