2 Australian creatives share their favourite ’90s-inspired outfit

Spice up your life.

It seems fashion has a hard time getting over the ’90s. And for good reason – from silk slip dresses to denim overalls, there’s something laidback and timeless about the styles of the time. From baggy, well-worn jeans to oversized graphic T-shirts, the ’90s are back in all of their chilled-out glory.

And it’s not just about vintage finds either – legacy brands have been getting in on the action by looking back to past designs and reimagining them for a modern generation. Because just like the kids of the naughts, we’re busy people. We need clothes that can carry us through all of our daily plans, from the skate park to the pizza parlour to the grunge show (or, in my case, from the bouldering gym to the natural wine bar to the ambient DJ set).

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Take the Vans Knu Skool sneakers. Based on the classic ’90s Old Skool silhouette, they have that chunky, low-top design that has never really gone out of style. With a puffy tongue, a 3D-moulded side stripe and fat skater laces, they’re the kind of shoe that belongs in a blast-from-the-past outfit with a little contemporary flair. Below, two Australian creatives style the shoe in their favourite ’90s looks. We like to think the Spice Girls would be proud.

Debbie Tram

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Debbie and I’m a creative producer and artist agent based in Sydney. I work on pre-production for stills campaigns and also look after hair and makeup artists, stylists and photographers.

How would you describe your style?

I don’t really know how to describe my style, to be honest. In winter it’s mostly tomboyish. On colder days I love playing around with layering and contrasting textures and fits. I’m loving baggy jeans paired with tailored blazers, dresses over pants and lace stockings under tailored shorts. ’90s Hong Kong pop queen Faye Wong is forever my muse.

Talk us through your outfit and photos. Why do you like this outfit? Where did you wear it?

I’m heading to Melbourne today to see some friends play a special gig tonight. My flight has been delayed (yay!) so it’s a long day ahead. Today I’m wearing my favourite pair of baggy jeans, my Acne puffer jacket and Knu Skool Vans. I’m anticipating cold weather and lots of walking around so this outfit is about being flight-friendly, gig-friendly, Melbourne-weather-friendly and also multiple-coffee-catch-ups-in-a-row-friendly.

My first stop is Path in North Melbourne for coffee, pie and friends. Next, I’m visiting my friend Paul at his tattoo studio in Southbank. He’s been kind enough to let me stay at his house while I’m in town. When I lived in Melbourne, Paul and I would always visit The Conservatory in Fitzroy Gardens together.

They have five changeovers throughout the year and we’ve just caught the end of their poinsettia display before they close for a week to prepare for the new cineraria and cyclamen display. It’s so warm in there, so it’s especially nice to visit on a cold day. My first day in Melbourne wraps up at Stay Gold in Brunswick. Friends and family have gathered to celebrate 10 years of the band Born Free!

@debeh

Zali Guecia-Ghelardini

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Zali Guecia-Ghelardini, a 24-year-old model and creative based in the vibrant city of Melbourne, Australia. My journey in the fashion industry has been nothing short of a blessing, as my love for all things fashion started from my earliest memories – my affinity for Bratz dolls was proof of that (sorry, Barbie fans!).

From a young age, I always knew I loved expressing myself through what I wore. I love that now it has become my job in so many different ways. I’m not the type of person who can just stand still or have one job, I like to switch it up by doing multiple things, such as hair styling, creative directing, modelling, painting, making social media content, clothes styling, event planning as well as baking vegan cakes and making organic sea moss gel.

I have also worked in retail for quite a few years in multiple boutique stores which has definitely fuelled my shoe and clothing addition. Pretty much I’m saying I have shoes for every different outfit I choose in the morning!

Talk us through your outfit and photos. Why do you like this outfit? Where did you wear it?

I absolutely loved the Knu Skool Vans’ colourway and exaggerated tongue. They inspired me to base my outfit on brown and white tones. I wanted to play on the exaggeration that the shoes have, so I paired them with wide brown parachute pants, a white tank top and a lot of gold jewellery.

I’m wearing my vintage Casio watch, a gold body chain, gold earrings and multiple bracelets and rings. Clearly, I have a thing for gold jewellery. I didn’t want to overcomplicate the look as I found the shoes had a lot to say for themselves.

I shot these pictures on a nice sunny day at the Rippon Lea Estate which, in my opinion, is such a beautiful place and I feel like more people need to go and see it for themselves.

@cinamon_doll

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