STYLE EVOLUTION

Courtney Love’s Best Silk Slips Through the Years


Courtney Love

Courtney Love, who turns 55 today, is the foremost standard-bearer of the slip dress. The look has roared back into fashion in recent seasons, but Love has been working its magic for decades now—even before her band Hole broke through with the ’90s grunge classic “Live Through This,” the 1994 record that catapulted them into the spotlight. Since then, Love has hardly deviated from a palette that consists of just four colors—black, bright red, blush pink, and ivory—and from keeping her look remarkably consistent both on and off stage. As Hole entered the annals of rock history, though, Love has also been welcomed into the halls of high fashion—as early as 2000, she sat front-row at Jeremy Scott, while more recently she’s attended Givenchy, Diesel Black Gold, and parties for Ferragamo and Valentino, plus become friends with fellow grunge pioneer Marc Jacobs. The silk slip has accompanied her every step of the way, and here, in honor of her birthday, we look back on some of her best slips and more of her looks over the years, here.

1

Courtney Love performs in New York, New York, February 1995. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

2

Courtney Love and Amanda de Cadenet at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles, California, March 1995. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

3

Courtney Love performs at Lollapalooza, 1995. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

4

Courtney Love at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York, New York, September 1995. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

5

Courtney Love at the 69th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, March 1997. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

6

Courtney Love at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, California, June 1999. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

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Courtney Love at the 42nd annual Grammy Awards Sony Party in Los Angeles, California, February 2000. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

8

Courtney Love at the Jeremy Scott show in Los Angeles, California, October 2000. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

9

Courtney Love at the St. Jude Hollywood Gala in Beverly Hills, California, March 2001. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

10

Courtney Love at Love Rocks in Hollywood, California, February 2002. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

11

Courtney Love at the Diesel Black Gold Fall 2014 presentation in Venice, Italy, April 2014. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

12

Courtney Love at the premiere of Sons of Anarchy in Hollywood, California, September 2014. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

13

Courtney Love with Lana Del Rey and Naomi Campbell at the British Fashion Awards in London, England, December 2014. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

14

Courtney Love with Frances Bean Cobain at the premiere of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck in Hollywood, California, April 2015. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

15

Courtney Love at the Givenchy Men’s Spring 2016 presentation in Paris, France, June 2015. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

16

Courtney Love at the Saint Laurent Fall 2016 show in Los Angeles, California, February 2016. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

17

Courtney Love at the premiere of 13 Reasons Why in Los Angeles, March 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

18

Courtney Love at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, California, February 2016. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

19

Courtney Love at the Marc Jacobs spring 2017 in New York, September 2016 in New York City. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

20

Courtney Love in Gucci at the 2016 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles, October 2016. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

21

Courtney Love at amfAR’s Inspiration Gala in Los Angeles, October 2016. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

22

Courtney Love at a rehearsal for Kansas City Choir Boy in Miami, November 2016. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

23

Courtney Love at the premiere of The Beguiled in Los Angeles, June 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

24

Courtney Love attending the GQ awards, September 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

25

Courtney Love joins Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins on stage during their 30th Anniversary Performance at PNC Bank Arts Center, August 2018. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

26

Courtney Love is seen in New York City, September 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

27

Courtney Love walks in Noho in New York City, September 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

28

Courtney Love at Justin Tranter And GLAAD Present ‘Believer’ Spirit Day Concert at Sayer’s Club, October 2017. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

29

Courtney Love, wearing Gucci, attends 2018 LACMA Art + Film Gala honoring Catherine Opie and Guillermo del Toro presented by Gucci at LACMA, November 2018. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

30

Courtney Love arrives at The Daily Front Row’s 5th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards at Beverly Hills Hotel, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.