Why Courtney Love’s ’90s Wardrobe Still Resonates Today

Courtney Love is the queen of grunge. When she exploded onto the scene in the early ’90s, as the lead singer of the rock group Hole, she brought a fashion sense that was completely her own. Love, who turns 56 today, swiftly became known for her punky—but always glam!—closet filled with slip dresses, bias-cut gowns, and frayed hemlines. These are pieces that still feel current three decades later. Recent runways from Alexander McQueen to Marine Serre were filled with similarly refined, rock ’n’ roll wears. But while many have tried to imitate her rock goddess vibe, Love’s look is all her own. (The secret lies in her care-free attitude.) And in honor of her birthday, Vogue is looking back at some of her most memorable ’90s outfits of all time

On stage, Love has fabulously shredded the guitar while wearing tasteful, sleek gowns. At the 1998 Billboard Awards, for instance, she performed with Hole wearing a leather dress with a squared neckline, a silhouette that’s been revived. Off-stage, the singer channels serious Hollywood glamour in her own way, of course. When she showed up in a pristine, white bias-cut gown by Versace to the 1997 Oscars, the look became one of her most iconic of all time. Love’s film was nominated for an Oscar and she proved she could play the part of an A-list actress; her red carpet poses, however, were pure rock star. (Seriously, Google them.)

Despite Love’s devil-may-care attitude towards fashion—who else would regularly wear tiaras like it’s an everyday baseball cap?—she’s always had her finger on the pulse of what's trending and follows the runways. One of my favorite moments of all time was at the 1995 MTV VMAs, when Love interrupted a live Madonna interview and then proceeded to compare each other’s current-season shoes. “These are Charles Jourdan, babe,” Love says of her heels. “Mine are Gucci,” quips Madonna, to which Love replies, “I know they’re Gucci—did you get the hip-huggers?” Love is still a regular front-row fixture during fashion week, because her style is truly eternal and original.

Below, 14 of Love’s best ’90s looks.