Great Outfits in Fashion History: Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain Doing Their Version of Mommy-and-Me Fashion at the 1993 VMAs

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In ‘Great Outfits in Fashion History,’ Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

Courtney Love helped define 90’s grunge. As the lead singer of Hole, she brought Mary Jane flats, ripped tights, tiaras and smudged eyeliner to the fashion conversation, wearing vintage clothing long before Depop and eBay made retro wardrobe curation a common and accessible pastime.

Love occasionally toned down her alternative edge for red carpets, like at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. She opted for a white satin v-neck gown believed to be vintage, which she paired with Anne Klein shoes and a silver beaded bracelet. She walked alongside then-husband Kurt Cobain, carrying their daughter Frances Bean Cobain on her hip. (The one-year-old’s baby clothes were also vintage.) Marking Frances’s first red carpet, it was the only major appearance the family of three made together.

Cobain’s band Nirvana won Best Alternative Video that night for the music video accompanying their song “Bloom.” He donned his typical uniform, a T-shirt and jeans, with unkempt hair and red sunglasses that complemented Love’s lipstick.

Shop our favorite Courtney and Kurt-inspired pieces here.

Bec + Bridge Moon Dance Verona Dress, $300, available here

Reformation Delilah Linen Dress, $278, available here

Norma Kamali Tie Front Halter Gown, $185, available here

Sterling Foster Beaded Stretch Bracelet, $62, available here

Krewe Margaret Glasses, $295, available here

Coach Pillow Tabby Round Sunglasses, $171, available here

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