You may (or may not…where have you been hiding??) know of my love for the work of John Bates. He’s a pretty important designer to me, and [via The Avengers and subsequent research] is a big part of why I have gone down this career path. I’ve met him twice and he has also, more recently, completely unwittingly and indirectly changed another part of my life. For which I’m very grateful, and which he will have no idea about.
Senti will be witness to the fact that I nearly fainted when I read what he had written in my copy of Richard Lester’s book about him. I had been wearing an early red chiffon Varon to the launch, and he wrote ‘Love the red chiffon and it fits perfectly!’. Perhaps that wouldn’t affect other, normal, people in the same way. But it was like a slice of heaven for me.
Lousy photo of a great dress.
Anyhoo. I don’t post a lot about my personal collection these days. To be honest with you, I’ve let go of a few things here and there. Other things need re-photographing. And several are still sitting in a no man’s land of ‘maybe I ought to sell this, really’. Hence I removed those sections from the website before I relaunched and haven’t reinstated them yet.
I am still trying to thin down the Bates collection. Which is hard. You can’t even imagine how much so. It’s easier to sell an Ossie, frankly, because I know I can get a fair market value for it. But Bates is still very ‘all over the place’ and I don’t want to gamble with such gorgeous frocks.
My plan is to have a comprehensive mid-Sixties array of his work. The varied, inspirational designs of his early years. Plus a decent selection of everything from then on, but minimalised greatly from what it has been. If I was having any doubts about this idea, they were swiftly removed by my most recent acquisition.
The really good, really early and representative Bateses don’t turn up very often. And you often forget that, for example, you’ve personally never seen an example of his panelled crepe work turn up. Or a dress with laced panels (which I also acquired last year, and need to photograph, sorry!). I’m very lucky to own a PVC example, and a dress with foil trim – those are pretty scarce as well. I love this dress. Passionately. I can’t find a direct photographed example, but it’s got to be from the same year as the Twiggy and Grace Coddington photos (below and at the top of the post).
Yes indeed. This dress makes me very happy. 
Liz Eggleston 
Love it! I can't wait to see the photos of more of your pieces- please, please, please!
Hi there-you are so lucky to have such a wonderful collection, the red dress looks gorgeous on!!
John Bates was right the dress looks fab on you! Can't wait to see some more…
You can't show that dress and not show your face, beyotch! I demand a re-post.
Fab fab fab and of course the red dress – winner!
Ooo,I wasn't familiar with him at all(I've been under a big rock),but am planning to investigate-lovely frocks!!!Sounds like you have a collection I would cry over!!(With joy!)
OH…MY..GOD! That dress is AMAZING!!!!!!!Envy envy envy. I have to see it in real life and see it on you! Dare you wear it to The Who?! It's the most stylishly perfect pop art mod dress everrrrrrrrr!!!! Albert Hall gigs are the only ones safe enough to wear nice clothes to during a Who gig. Everywhere else you're likely to get them shredded. At the RAH people ask you to sit down during the gig and bring small children and things. (hence it's my least favourite venue for a Who gig due to both of those things, LOL!)The picture you've put on the blog doesn't even begin to portray how utterly fabulous you looked in that dress. And yes I can tesify that you were about to faint, but you also came across effortlessly graceful in front of the man himself. …I myself am prone to hyperventilating or excessive giggling in the face of such personal idol worship.The giggling and dancing around in cirlces like a toddler you will now doubt bare witness to when we see the senior Mr Townshend. I'm never so silly or girlishly shy as when in his presance. …still doesn't stop me from hugging him or babbling nonsense to him though. 😉
I understand why you love John Bates (shame on me, I had never heard from him before)! The designs are great and so 60s. Hello Avengers! (And the red dress looks f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s, darrrrling.)