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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobain's style 30 years later

30 years after his passing, Kurt Cobain's fashion sense, from the oversized cardigans to the bug-eye shades, ripped jeans and flannel shirts, continues to be as iconic as his music.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later

Cobain might be horried to see the money now involved. Paris label Vetements recently issued a $1,150 version of the cardigan he wore at Nirvana's famous MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later

The real thing sold at auction in 2019 for $334,000.

Saint Laurent and Dries Van Noten have run versions of his favourite bug-eyed shades that have shown up on popstars including Jay-Z, Harry Styles, Migos.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later

Fashion statements

But Cobain would no doubt welcome the way some of his fashion statements still reverberate.

An early critic of mysogyny and homophobia, he wore women's clothes on stage -- recently replicated by rappers (and avowed Nirvana fans) Kid Cudi and Post Malone.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later

For the cover of Rolling Stone, Cobain's T-shirt read "Corporate magazines still suck". He popularised the wearing of band tees, promoting outsider artists like Daniel Johnson (today, of course, the most popular is Nirvana's).

Then, when grunge took over the world, he couldn't resist subverting his own image, sporting a sparkly top by French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier in the video for 1993's "Heart-Shaped Box" and opting for suits, white shirts and ties in later performances and photo shoots.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later

It could have all devolved into parody. But by then, the pressure of being the icon of a generation was taking its toll.

"Cobain wanted to become a star but he was overtaken by the speed of it -- he intended it to be gradual, but that album (Nevermind) wasn't just successful, it defined a genre," said Dufaud.

Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994, aged 27.

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Forever iconic: The enduring influence of Kurt Cobains style 30 years later