How the 1990s were sparked by a single, unexpected image of Kate Moss as a teenager

The image on the cover of The Face magazine in July 1990 was a perfect moment: a 16-year-old Kate Moss, freckled and fresh-faced, laughing, without makeup, and wearing only a feathered headpiece and a delicate string of beads. It caught a moment in Britain when young people were coming together around a growing acid-house movement, with spontaneous gatherings taking over abandoned warehouses, airplane hangars, and fields all throughout the country. Despite challenging times of high unemployment and a faltering economy, the escapist, chaotic rave scene that transcended class and race was a burst of optimism and pleasure. Kate Moss, the feather-crowned queen of the upcoming decade, was featured on the magazine’s cover, ushering in a new age.It was a shift from the aspirational, stylized glamour of the 1980s to a more modest and grounded stage of life, according to Lee Swillingham.
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, an exhibition at London’s National Portrait Gallery, features a number of pictures, including the famous portrait by Corinne Day. The show, which traces the photography of the British style magazine over time, was conceived by photographer Norbert Schoerner and former art director Lee Swillingham. “The Face was, in my opinion, the best chronicler of British youth culture,” says Swillingham, who co-curated the show with Sabina Jaskot-Gill, senior curator of photography at NPG.