Even my grandmother remembers a lack of pretty dresses and bright colours. While there were so many different trends and icons of the '90s, one of the most cherished, notorious, and remembered, seems to remain Kurt Cobain.

Kurt was born Kurt Donald Cobain in February 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington. His mother, Wendy Elizabeth, was a waitress, and his father, Donald LeLand, was an automotive mechanic. From an early age Kurt showed great artistic talent, especially in drawing, which perhaps hinted at the incredible, yet disturbed, genius that he would become.

When Kurt's parents divorced when he was seven years old, he soon shrank into defiance and was filled with shame and anger. This attitude, and his unusual knack for art, didn't find him many friends in school. But from the age of 11 Kurt found his solace in music, especially British punk bands such as The Sex Pistols, and the nihilistic post-punk band Joy Division. In 1986, after experimenting with bands of his own, he and a friend, Krist Novoselic, and later Dave Grohl, created Nirvana. With Nirvana came mainstream success, but also the crushing pressure of fame and fortune, which Kurt, already sensitive and depressed, found unbearable. Despite an ever growing fan-base worldwide, and money and fame coming their way, Nirvana was literally blown apart in 1994, when Kurt was found dead in a flat behind his mansion after shooting himself in the head with a shotgun, just 27 years old.

However, his influence both during his life and after it ended, are undeniably huge in both music and fashion. Kurt was definitely more of an 'anti-icon' than anything else, but Nirvana made the grunge scene of the '90s what it was. The long, lank, unwashed hair and generally grubby exterior was what boys and girls everywhere were aiming to copy. Much of the 1990s were all about comfort, and baggy flannel shirts and faded stonewashed denim jeans were the height of comfort for many. Kurt's look reflected his rebellious nature and anti-consumerist attitude in a decade ruled by designer labels. If it wasn't an open plaid shirt over a plain t-shirt, it was a baggy 'grandpa' jumper over torn jeans, and Kurt's white-rimmed glasses, possibly to your grandmother's taste, were worn by teenage boys all over. Throw in a pair of Converse or Dr. Martens, and you've got 'the look'.

Perhaps some will disagree. Some may think that Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford or the Spice Girls were the icons of the 1990s. In reality, the '90s had many icons, from boy bands to supermodels. But Cobain's look and music inspired millions when he was around, and continues to do so today, even though grunge wasn't supposed to be a fashion statement. Anyway, I don't see many wandering around in gold hot pants and Union Jack mini-dresses anymore. Thankfully.