Were it not for the press release for Odilon’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection, the references to Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain would not have been blatantly obvious. 

There was no grunge here, no tattered hems, no general vibes of heroin-induced stupor. The tailoring was sharp and severe and the models were presented cleanly in a stark white space. The most obvious connection to grunge were the tiny stripey prints and velvet bodycon spaghetti straps dresses, albeit in single colors, usually white or bright green. It was fascinating to see 90s silhouettes being interpreted into a very post-2000s New York style. If the 90s are coming back, it isn’t without sacrificing the strides in hyper-modern fashion design that’s been made over the past decade. Meanwhile, semi-grungy tunes permeated the cool-kid crowd and every now and then, a head nodded along. Disaffection as a sense seems to have never left the 90s and if hasn’t by now, it probably never will.