HEROIN CHIC: LET’S CHAT
We all know it, whether we admittedly loved it or hated it. Here are my thoughts.
First, the facts:
Though models like Kate Moss really seemed to lead this trend through the 90’s, its roots land in the departed hands of an Italian-American fashion photographer: Davide Sorrenti. (Pictured)
His death was falsely reported as a heroin overdose — though Sorrenti was a heroin user, his death was in large part due to a rare blood disorder called Thalassemia. Sorrenti was just 20 years old at the time of his death.
For those who live under a rock, or lived under a rock in the 90’s (I wasn’t born yet but I can confirm through extensive research that I would have known about this if I had been) Heroin Chic was a fashion trend in the 90’s that took over the runways and caused major societal controversy. The look is immediately recognizable: pale skin, a skin-and-bones figure, dark and messy eye makeup, and grunge style clothing are hard to miss, especially when you’re seeing it on Kate Moss, Jamie King, and Jodie Kidd.
Throughout the late 2000’s to now, we’ve seen massive changes in the fashion world regarding body positivity and size ranges. Plus sized women are now photographed and included in clothing ads and campaigns, and celebrity figures like Kim Kardashian really shook up that 2000’s “must be skinny” thought process. Suddenly, having a butt and boobs were ‘in’. I remember noticing the clear body standard divide between us and our parents, specifically when I told my mom she looked “thick” one day and found out that Gen X did not think that was a compliment. Yikes.
Lately though, the tide seems to be turning. Kim K has started ozempic, Cardi B has had her butt implants taken out, and the girls are struggling to keep up. Every other TikTok I see is of a girl whose arm is the size of my pinkie. The Victoria’s Secret fashion show is making a comeback. Where exactly are we headed now? And is it dangerous?
Growing up a mid-sized girl who absolutely loved food (and still does) was hard enough in a small and gossipy town where everyone looked the same. Everyone was a size 4 or 6 in LuLuLemon Leggings, and if you were larger, you just weren’t a part of the club.
Though this isn’t an overnight solvable problem, what we can do is stop ingesting so much of this crap we see online about the need to be skinny, take Ozempic, and be a certain weight. For now, follow creators and influencers that make you feel good about you.
A message from me personally to the beauty and fashion industry:
our bodies are not trends.
Xoxo,
EmilyG
