Vanity Fair’s March 1997 magazine issue stands as an emblem of '90s Britain. "London Swings Again” was the outrageous headline, a cheeky nod to Britain’s heyday in the swinging sixties. Oasis’ Liam Gallagher and actress Patsy Kensit grace the seemingly provocative cover in their Union Flag bed set, glaring out at the readers. This edition of Vanity Fair marked the peak of a phenomenon known as Cool Britannia, a decade when British culture reigned supreme. Music, art, fashion and politics underwent great upheaval and London was the city on everybody's lips. But what caused this increased focus on Britain and “British culture”? And why did it die out so quickly?
The phrase “Cool Britannia” originates from the 1967 parody song by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Much like the titular inspiration, Cool Britannia inherited much from the youthful and fun-loving swinging sixties, when youth culture emerged as a response to the bleak conservatism that had held sway the years before. Fashion and music dominated the movement, championing optimism, experimentation and sexual liberation. Britain slowly faded into obscurity by the end of the decade, and it was not until the '90s that the island nation would reenter the spotlight.
Music and popular culture
A genre of music dubbed Britpop slowly rose to fame at the beginning of the decade. Their sound was characterised by “youthful exuberance and a desire for recognition" – with Britpop, there was a focus on working class sensibilities and laddish culture. The 1995 Battle of Britpop saw the bands Blur and Oasis release singles on the same day and fight to sell the most CDs. Blur won the showdown, selling 274,000 against Oasis' 216,000.
Nevertheless, Alex Jones maintained that “Blur may have won the battle but Oasis won the war," as the latter's album (What's The Story) Morning Glory eventually outsold Blur's The Great Escape. This publicised rivalry embodied the “laddish” culture that was coming to characterise the music industry. As author Emma Jackson states for Vice in the 2021 article 'Lads, Gak and Union Jacks':
“It’s hard to pick out the lad culture because it was just everywhere. We were coming from a situation where you could not walk across the dance floor in our local nightclub without men grabbing you, so it was not that the music industry felt like an alien place – we were used to the world being laddy.”
Other Britpop bands like Suede and Pulp also enjoyed great commercial success and accompanying cultural status, with Pulp’s 1995 song Common People reaching No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The popularity of other artists like The Spice Girls also directed international attention to Britian’s musical prowess. Several songs by the powerful girl group reached the Billboard's Top 100, making them a sensation across the pond. Other pop culture phenomena like England at the Euro 96, David Beckham’s face card, Harry Potter and the tragic death of Princess Diana in 1997 brought even more attention to Britain on the world stage.
David and Victoria Beckham in 1998
The arts
The British art scene also underwent a renaissance. The YBA (Young British Artists) movement saw unconventional and provocative works by emerging British artists gain popularity. Damien Hirst became one of the key artists of the YBA, with his work often exploring themes of death, decay and morality. Tracey Emin likewise emerged from the Cool Britannia period, her deeply personal and autobiographical works representing Britian’s sense of freedom and liberation. One of her most famous pieces, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-95 (1995), constitutes a tent with the names of all the people she had, literally, slept with. The humorous sexual misunderstanding of the title lifted it to icon status, cementing Emin as a significant British artist.
The world of fashion also flourished: designers such as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen dominated the fashion industry and turned it on its head. McQueen was dubbed l'enfant terrible of the fashion world, with his extremely low-waisted bumster trousers shocking the nation and showcasing his British punk sensibilities. From Enfant Terrible he worked his way up to creative director of Givenchy in 1996. McQueen, once an impoverished starving artist, spoke to Cool Britannia’s focus on the working class as he came to be “the couturier to ladies who lunch and Argentineans with means.”
McQueen's debut couture collection for Givenchy Spring/Summer 1997
In film, Hugh Grant’s awkward yet charming English demeanour took over screens, popularising the British rom-com. Danny Boyle’s 1996 critical and commercial success Trainspotting marked a shift in British cinema. With its blend of both realist and fantastical elements, Boyle's film captured the '90s Scottish zeitgeist.
On the 1st of May 1997, conservative rule came crashing down. New labour won by a landslide majority of 179 seats, the biggest in the party’s history. The rising economy paired with Blair’s youthful good looks and inclusive policies increased patriotism all over the UK. The 1997 Labour win brought back the optimism and hope of the swinging sixties. 1997 truly was the epitome of Cool Britannia, but not long after this high point the public began to turn on the movement.
The limits of Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia was the celebration of everything British, yet there was a clear exclusion of the diversity that has been part of the UK for decades. An estimated 3.3 million ethnic people were living in the UK during the peak of Cool Britannia (1994-7). In 1993, black teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack in Eltham, southeast London. The police’s mishandling of the case and their failure to adequately investigate suspects led to widespread criticism. The popularity of Cool Britannia had overshadowed Britain's racism problem.
The '90s also marked the rise of far-right movements. The emergence of groups like the British National Party (BNP) exacerbated this issue as they capitalised on anti-immigrant and anti-minority statements, making scapegoats of ethnic minorities by claiming that they were making Great Britain worse. The subsequent Macpherson reports in 1999 labelled the police as “institutionally racist”, a term that captured how racial biases were ingrained within British institutions. The effects of these far right movements can still be seen today: the recent EDL (English Defence League) riots saw the Southport attacks as an opportunity to protest immigration in the UK.
The fall of Cool Britannia
Towards the end of the period, various celebrities publicly expressed their disdain for Cool Britannia culture, reducing it to a corny farce peddled by politicians to garner votes. The public began to turn away from the movement, foregoing their Union Flag plastered clothing for the muted baggy looks of the 2000s.
The legacy it left on British culture is undeniable, bringing discussions of class, baggy puma tracksuits and an appreciation of the arts to our society. While impactful, it was a period of time that failed to acknowledge all British people. Artist Chris Ofili, designer Wale Adeyemi and underground music pioneer DJ Ritu all contributed to and cemented this era of British cultural identity. The Cool Britannia phenomenon has thus taught me that being British doesn’t equate to owning a British passport, and that the nation's culture is a melting pot of perspectives. Cool Britannia marked a unique time in the British experience, and I would be excited to see it revived with an focus on all British people.
Comments