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If you're not familiar with Neneh Cherry's outrageously cool '90s looks, you should be. A little bit punk, a touch Goldie and a splash TLC, no one did '90s grunger girl quite like our Neneh.
Born to an artist mother, stepdaughter of jazz musician Don Cherry and Eagle-Eye Cherry's half-sister, Neneh Mariann Karlsson was raised between Stockholm and NYC. She moved to London in the '70s and fell into the punk scene, eventually touring with The Slits, before forming her own band, The Cherries. It was in 1982 when she started her solo career that she met Cameron McVey of Massive Attack whom she would eventually marry.
Neneh is best known for her single "Buffalo Stance", which she preformed while heavily pregnant on stage for Top Of The Pops in 1988. The single's title was taken from the gang of photographers, musicians, artists and models that formed cult stylist, Ray Petri's motley crew, and of whom Neneh was a key member. Holding a "stance" was all about mirroring the poses that models (Neneh herself included) would pull for titles like The Face and i-D and Arena. Through this creative crew Neneh also met Judy Blame who Cherry has continued to work with throughout her career, crediting the jewellery designer and stylist with inspiring her to "create fashion that’s anti-fashion. Putting a Gaultier thing next to cycling shorts from some shop in 14th Street," as told to the Guardian.
Inspired by a mish-mash of Motown, punk and reggae culture, the unisex uniform was all about an Amarni suit jacket, tall Dr Marten's boots, boys in skirts, girls in tailoring, beanies and polo necks. Neneh's uniform of XL gold hoops, adidas high-tops and MA1 bomber jackets feels as fresh now as it did then. Here's the first lady of Buffalo style's best looks.
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