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[Amerigo Vespucci]

Frances Bean Cobain: Fashion's Timely New Muse

POSTED: August 18, 9:15 AM ET | By Colleen Nika



It was bound to happen: her DNA demanded it. Frances Bean Cobain, who turns 19 today, has traversed the path of other rock star progeny to become a bona fide muse to the fashion world. The scion of 90s music icons Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, she already is one of music history's most famous heirs apparent, and is both the literal and symbolic daughter of grunge. As Cobain turns 19, and the music, fashion, and lifestyle era she was born of turns 20 next month, a new wave of interest surrounds both these personal and musical milestones.

Be it coincidence or fate, Cobain has formally arrived as major part of the cultural dialogue. As confirmation, two of the most admired photographers in fashion ostensibly presaged (and ratified) the occasion this month: both Hedi Slimane and Rocky Schenck have released private (yet instantly publicized) shoots of the girl as she comes of age, leading the image-making industry to happily declare her its latest sensation. But what does fashion really want from Miss Cobain — and what does she want from fashion, if anything?

It's crucial to remember that Cobain is not your typical Generation Y navel gazer. Though Courtney Love runs a Tumblr that curates her daily wardrobe escapades and initiates Twitter flame wars, her daughter chooses to maintain a low profile, living life largely off the digital grid. She eschews the spotlight, rarely accepting interviews, and only occasionally crosses the media's radar with a well-timed appearance or personal creative project. Last year, she curated an art installation called "Scumfuck" that was a clandestine affair but succeeded on its own terms. Resultantly, a flicker of interest flared in the darker corners of the fashion blogosphere. But a breakout moment was yet to be made.

The big bang arrived roughly two weeks ago, when Slimane, whose aggressively sultry and stark fashion portraits are firmly upheld as some of the industry's most iconic, revealed shots from a private session with Cobain. In the photos, Bean appears alternately contemplative, moody, and restless, but always alluring. She naturally emanates the devil-may-care insouciance that fashion editorialists chase down by spending thousands on clothes, styling, makeup, hair, and smoke and mirror context enhancers. The whole visual event seemed almost too serendipitous: synchronized with a summer high on 90s revivalism, it was hard to believe this was an expressive high fashion moment free of a luxury brand's imposing influence, but here it was. Here she was. Totally unfettered.



http://www.rollingstone.com/music/blogs/thread-count/frances-bean-cobain-fashions-timely-new-muse-20110818

[HappyMe]

1. What a beauty.

And yes, I do feel old.

[LynneSin]

2. This was her a few years back in her dad's famous outfit

I just hope she doesn't get caught up in the destructive cycle that some of these kids of famous folks have been doing. And I hope she remembers that both her parents had serious addiction issues so stay away from the hardcore drugs.