Looking Back: Matt Dillon, Gen X Poster Boy

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when Matt Dillon became the poster boy for Gen X, but certainly starring roles in films that celebrated twentysomething angst — “Singles,” “Drugstore Cowboy” and “Beautiful Girls” among them — cemented his standing. Dillon’s youthful good looks, husky voice and slacker persona resonated with an entire generation. Here, the then-21-year-old actor attends a party at The Palladium in New York, for which Azzedine Alaïa created the all-black uniforms worn by the club’s staff.