'There was blood, graphic nudity, even a portrait of a murderer': A five-minute guide to the 1990's greatest and grittiest moments

Cool Britannia ruled the airwaves (and the column inches) in the 1990s.

As the last decade of the 20th century dawned, the country, poised between a gritty past and the promise and fears of the new millennium, emerged triumphant to lead the world in art, design, fashion, music and pop culture, as a forthcoming Tate Britain exhibition, ‘The 90s; Art and Fashion’ reveals.

The creative energy that coursed through Britain in those years had many facets and faces. Here are some of my favourite moments that I believe best demonstrate this, from the show and beyond:

1. The supermodels When British Vogue asked Peter Lindbergh to photograph the woman of the 1990s, he couldn’t settle on one and chose five: models Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Christy Turlington. That January 1990 cover sanctioned their global fame, crystallising the era of the supermodel. Then, three years later, a waifish British girl appeared on a Calvin Klein advertisement and defined a new beauty ideal, in contrast to the polished glamour of the previous decade. With her undone, ‘heroin chic’ look, Kate Moss became, perhaps more than any other, the face of the 1990s
2. Sir Steve McQueen In his 1993 silent film, Bear, a faceoff between two men that has both erotic and aggressive undertones, the video artist and film director put the spotlight on the left behind, those that were seemingly not part of the Cool Britannia wave, but who in that decade eventually found some visibility through the work of Sir Steve and others such as Chris Ofili and Keith Piper

3. Lee Alexander McQueen: Nothing sent a clearer signal about Britain’s creative eminence than the country’s most rebellious, provocative, avant-garde designer taking the helm at a historic French couture house, Givenchy, in 1996

4. The YBAs When the Royal Academy staged an exhibition of more than 100 pieces from Charles Saatchi’s contemporary-art collection in 1997, it caused a stir. There was blood, graphic nudity, even a portrait of murderer Myra Hindley — and picket lines of vocal protesters outside Burlington House. Yet, the Young British Artists featured in that show, whether Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin or Jenny Saville, would go on to dominate the international art scene

5. Geri Halliwell In the decade of club culture and Britpop, the Spice Girl singer encapsulated the spirit of the times when she turned up at the 1997 Brit Award in a Union Flag mini dress. A year later, the frock — a homemade affair, as Halliwell and her sister had stitched a Union Flag teatowel on a black Gucci garment — would become the most expensive pop-star outfit sold at auction, although the record has since been topped

‘The 90s; Art and Fashion’ is at Tate Britain, London, from October 8–February 14, 2027.