Heroin chic

Heroin chic

Heroin chic was a look popularized in early-1990s fashion and characterized by pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, a very skinny body, dark red lipstick, stringy hair, and an angular bone structure. In 1999 Vogue dubbed Brazilian supermodel Gia Carangi the ‘first supermodel’ and she is remembered for being the origin of the heroin chic trend. The trend eventually faded, in part due to the drug-related death of prominent fashion designers such as Kate Moss and Jaime King.

About Heroin chic in brief

Summary Heroin chicHeroin chic was a look popularized in early-1990s fashion and characterized by pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, a very skinny body, dark red lipstick, stringy hair, and an angular bone structure. The look, characterised by emaciated features and androgyny, was a reaction against the vibrant look of models such as Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, and Claudia Schiffer. In the early 1990s, the rise of the grunge alternative rock music and subculture in Seattle brought media attention to the use of heroin by prominent grunge artists.

The trend eventually faded, in part due to the drug-related death of prominent fashion designers such as Kate Moss and Jaime King, and movies such as Trainspotting for glamorizing heroin use and the beginning of a new era of glamorized drug use in pop culture. In 1999 Vogue dubbed Brazilian supermodel Gia Carangi the ‘first supermodel’ and she is remembered for being the origin of the heroin chic trend.