Spice Girls Catsuit and Britpop Treasures Headline New '90s Exhibition in London
The collection features Mel B's leopard-print catsuit and Geri's Union flag platform boots, alongside numerous other iconic items from Britain's cultural heyday. Outfits worn by the Spice Girls, including Mel B's iconic leopard-print catsuit, are set to go on display at a "Cool Britannia" exhibition celebrating 1996 as "Britain's wildest year". The free exhibition will be located at the Barbican Music Library in central London, offering visitors a nostalgic journey through a pivotal era.
Iconic Memorabilia on Display
It will also feature Liam Gallagher's tambourine, Geri Halliwell's Union flag platform boots, and a coveted Brit Award among its many items. The exhibition was curated by Dominic Mohan, the former editor of The Sun newspaper, who aimed to "capture that magical period when pop, rock, football, art, dance culture, food, the media and politics fused together spectacularly".
It celebrates the year 1996, when the Spice Girls rose to fame and scored three number one hits, Oasis performed their famous Knebworth gig, and the comedy-drama Trainspotting hit cinemas, becoming a cultural phenomenon. Also featured in the exhibition, titled 1996: A celebration of the wildest year of Britain's wildest decade – 30 years on, is a blue dress worn by Emma Bunton, known as Baby Spice.
Photographs and Unseen Memorabilia
The collection also includes pictures by British photographers Jill Furmanovsky and Derek Ridgers of bands on and off stage, previously unseen Oasis memorabilia, and various concert flyers and tickets. Mel B, known as Scary Spice, famously wore her leopard-print catsuit during the girl group's performance at the 1997 Brit Awards.
The Spice Girl, 50, said: "It is now the moment to unleash my '90s leopard catsuit back into the wild for the world to admire. What memories. What a time. What an outfit." She added, "Perhaps one of the most iconic Spice performances with my gorgeous girls and best friends at the peak of the '90s at the Brit Awards."
Celebrating a Cultural Milestone
"A glorious moment when we came home to celebrate a rollercoaster seven months after exploding from unknowns in July 1996 to feeling like we had conquered the world. It was all a crazy '90s whirlwind but, in my leopard print, I knew I could take on anything. This outfit is sexy, naughty, and bold, which pretty much sums up me and the '90s! I hope you love it as much as I do. And, yes, I can still fit into it."
"Enjoy one of my most loved and treasured items from my personal archive. Thirty years on, cherish the memory, and enjoy the exhibition. Love life. Girl power 2026." The 1996 Brit Award – which has been loaned to the exhibition from the British Phonographic Industry – was presented to winning artists of that year.
Star-Studded Collection and Public Reception
They included Oasis, fronted by Liam and Noel Gallagher, who won three awards, Annie Lennox, Supergrass, Paul Weller, Take That, David Bowie and Michael Jackson. "I'm thrilled that we've got Mel B's catsuit, Geri's platform boots, Emma B's dress, Liam's tambourine, and a Brit Award trophy all jostling for position next to so many other incredible items," Mr Mohan said.
"In creating this exhibition, I've hoped to capture that magical period when pop, rock, football, art, dance culture, food, the media and politics fused together spectacularly to become the wildest year of Britain's wildest decade." Brendan Barns, chair of the City of London Corporation's Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, said: "Whatever brings back happy memories or ignites your interest in this rollercoaster year, Dominic Mohan's star-studded take on Cool Britannia is going to be one of the hottest free exhibitions in the capital."
The exhibition at the City of London Corporation's library will open at the venue on Thursday and run until 19 September, offering a comprehensive look at a defining moment in British cultural history.
