Irvine Welsh His first novel, "Trainspotting", was published in 1993. Set in the mid-1980s, it uses a series of loosely connected short stories to tell the story of a group of characters tied together by decaying friendships, heroin addiction and stabs at escape from the oppressive boredom and brutality of their lives in the housing schemes. It was released to shock and outrage in some circles and great acclaim in others; "Time Out" called it "funny, unflinchingly abrasive, authentic and inventive", and "The Sunday Times" called Welsh "the best thing that has happened to British writing for decades". It was adapted as
Heroin chic Heroin chic Heroin chic was a look popularized in mid-1990s fashion and characterized by pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, very skinny body, dark red lipstick and angular bone structure. The look, characterised by emaciated features and androgyny, was a reaction against the "healthy" and vibrant look of models such as Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. A 1996 article in the "Los Angeles Times" stated that the fashion industry had "a nihilistic vision of beauty" that was reflective of drug addiction. At the time during which heroin chic emerged, the popular image of heroin was changing for several reasons.