I Went to Tate Britain's New 90s Exhibition — These Are the Lessons I Learned in Authentically Recreating the Interiors Aesthetic of the Time

Ahead of the official opening on October 8th, I had a chance to explore the hotly anticipated Tate Britain exhibition, The 90s: Art and Fashion. Curated by none other than Edward Enninful, the former editor of British Vogue, this exhibition offers a glimpse into his experience of the era; all the grit and the glamour he was exposed to as a 20-something in London in the 90s. And, as a 20-something in London some 30 years later, these are the aesthetic takeaways I'm still thinking about from the exhibition.

An all-encompassing approach to British culture in the 90s, this London design exhibition brought together icons of the era across all mediums, introducing the varying stylistic trends happening throughout the nation — from the stunningly stripped-back intimacy in Juergen Teller and David Sims's photographs to the flamboyant artistry in the fashion of Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Many of the greatest artistic achievements of the decade were on full display, including Chris Ofili’s moving No Woman, No Cry, a standout piece in any room it’s placed in.

There were the instantly recognizable images that have come to define the time, like Juergen Teller's 1998 Young Pink Kate, as well as lesser-known (but equally significant) works, including Hamad Butt's 1992 installation, Familiars. This was, as the Tate Britain's director Alex Faqhousan explains, part of the goal of the exhibit. By "bringing together icons of the era, as well as artists who were too overlooked," the curatorial team was able to establish a more honest, authentic depiction of the time, as opposed to a flat, clichéd recreation.

Of course, there are plenty of shots of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss to admire, but equally represented were the more exposing, more illuminating artworks that perhaps haven't sustained the same level of cultural significance, but offer a true representation of the artistic culture of the time. It's an honest view of the decade, addressing the flaws as well as the highlights, and allowing you to step back in time and experience it all over again. Or, for 2000s babies like me, for the first time.

1. Minimalism As Authenticity, Not Simplicity

One of the leading themes of this exhibition, and perhaps of the era more broadly, was a celebration and exploration of minimalism. Today, minimalism in design is often viewed as some sort of lacking, an essential absence of personality or meaning. It's become tied up with the 'millennial beige' aesthetic, and has, in this age of maximalism, become somewhat of a dirty word.

In the 90s, however, a different kind of minimalism was defining the era. Arriving as a response to the flamboyant excesses of the 80s, the youth culture was searching for a way to rebel against the 'more is more' approach adopted by their predecessors.

The result was a stripped-back simplicity. A raw, authentic expression of minimalistic style. It wasn't characterless and beige. If anything, it was the complete opposite. It was honest and exposing, a celebration of truth. As one of the exhibition curators, Helen Little describes it: "Minimalism isn’t about a coldness and a lack of content. It’s distilling things down to their truest and purest state of being."

This approach was perhaps best expressed in the photography of the era. In the images of Juergen Teller and Corinne Day that line the walls, there's a clear desire for honesty and authenticity; any hints of artifice are stripped away, leaving us with a clear, exposing view of the subject.

In terms of design, this approach can be communicated in how we explore the finishes and materials we work with. Helen described the "focus on intentionality and materiality and using spare materials to make something new," which became so present in the art over these years, and today, we can adopt this same approach in our homes, finding pieces that express this authentic materiality in their design.

2. A New Type Of British Identity

While this era is so often characterized by the explosion of 'Cool Britannia' and the renewed sense of pride the British youth felt towards their cultural identity, this exhibition adopts a more complex view of what it meant to be British in the 90s, with a specific focus on the Black British experience.

Alongside the rise in Britpop and Union Jack-clad pop stars, there was a cultural reckoning taking place, and a developing understanding of the disparity in experience across different racial groups. Chris Ofili's No Woman, No Cry takes the viewer back to the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence and the institutional racism that removed any chance of justice for his family. Donald Rodney's moving work, In the House of My Father, explores similar themes, looking at the Black British experience of the British healthcare system.

Despite this setting of injustice and inequality, this room displays the achievements and resilience of the Black British youth in the 90s. At the center of the room, Ozwald Boateng's fantastically tailored suits stand proud, commanding in the suave simplicity of their construction. British director Steve McQueen is also honored in this room, with his silent film, Bear, playing on the wall.

A celebration of what we would now call Black Excellence, and what has been described as the 'most meaningful room' for curator Edward Enninful, this space explores a different side of the Cool Britannia movement.

3. The Allure Of Grunge

It wasn't all stripped-back minimalism, though; equally present in this era was a grittier, more outwardly rebellious stylistic approach. It was, as a 1992 story in American Vogue called it, 'Grunge and Glory'.

In many ways, the essential components of minimalism were still present. There was an honesty and authenticity that lay at the heart of the grunge movement. But this was a far cry from the 'clean girl' version of minimalism we know today. This was the anti-aesthetic aesthetic, revoking the very idea of the contrived intentionality that went behind the highly curated stylistic trends that came before it.

The grunge movement was more interested in exploring the truth behind the lived experience than it was in constructing a new version of it. Works like Barbara Walker's Attitude show an interest in embracing all aspects of the human experience, elevating the moments we previously would have disregarded into art.

Things were a little more undone, a little less contrived. A rejection of style that has ironically become one of the defining styles of the time. And even in our homes, grunge interior style can bring this same sense of stylistic nonchalance.

4. Utility Above Aesthetics

As you step into the third room of the exhibition, bright white walls are replaced with something a little darker. A small TV in the center plays Mark Leckey's Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore, a short film compiled from found footage of British nightlife through the ages, culminating in clips from the 90s underground rave scene. The walls that surround it are plastered with images of sunglass-clad ravers huddled around a DJ, and bleary-eyed friends slumped on the Brighton shore, roll-up cigarettes in hand.

What is striking about these images when compared to similar shots of nightlife in the 80s, or earlier, is the relative simplicity in the style of the subjects. Look at images of the Blitz club, just a decade prior, and you'd see a sea of the most highly stylized individuals, each dressed up as if playing a character. In the 90s, however, this degree of expression was swapped out for a more functional approach to dressing.

There was, as curator Dominique Heyse-Moore explained, a focus on utility. Young people were going out in clothes that they could dance, move, and sweat in without worry. There was a rejection of the curated approach to self-image that was so integral to the 80s. Instead, there was a more relaxed authenticity to the style.

This idea of a more casual, collected approach to self-expression is something we can carry through to our homes, too. It's all about trying less and allowing things to occur naturally instead, with more of a collected interiors approach.

While pop culture has exploded with 90s nostalgia in recent years, with the hit Love Story series reigniting a love for the cool elegance of 90s minimalism, this exhibition introduces us to a different view of the era, one that is rooted in the British experience and all the subcultures and movements that made the 90s what it was.

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