Oh I do so love finding a ‘new’ video such as this on Youtube – many thanks to the uploader. Promoting the 1974 London Fashion Show at Earls Court (featuring designs by Frank Usher and Bernshaw in the footage) it then moves to a variety of locations (Trafalgar Square, Regent’s Canal, random studio, back to Trafalgar Square…) to promote clothes by legends such as Ossie Clark, Bill Gibb, Lee Bender for Bus Stop, Yuki, Stirling Cooper and ‘Kate Hamnett’ for Tuttabankem, it also features the underrated [and somewhat forgotten] designers Jane Cattlin and Janet Ibbotson. Enjoy!
british boutique movement
Dateline Persia: Putting the peasants in their place
1970s, Alan Rodin, anello and davide, Angela at London Town, aristos, Baltrik, british boutique movement, clobber, Dolcis, gordon king, Herbert Johnson, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, Martha Hill, Miss Impact, Ricki Reed, Sacha, Shelana, Simon Ellis, Sportaville, Vintage Editorials
Dirndl skirt and bolero by Sportaville. Boots by Anello & Davide.
Currently inspiring me (as someone who doesn’t enjoy stripping off in the much-awaited heat…) is this photoshoot from Honey, April 1970. Pretty much perfection, as far as I am concerned. Astonishingly, there is no credited photographer for any of the photoshoots in this magazine, so I’m afraid they will have to remain anonymous…
Dress by Martha Hill.
Dress by Miss Impact.
Shirt by Aristos. Trousers by Gordon King. Skirt by Alan Rodin. Boots by Sacha. Hat by Herbert Johnson.
Harem pants and bare-midriff top by Angela at London Town.
Peasant shirt by Baltrik. Trousers by Clobber. Skirt by Alan Rodin. Boots from Anello & Davide.
Dress by Ricki Reed
Dress by Simon Ellis
Dress by Shelana. Boots by Dolcis. Hat by Herbert Johnson.
Inspirational Images: The Top and Bottom of it!
1970s, biba, british boutique movement, bus stop, david hurn, Feathers, gladrags, Inspirational Images, petticoat magazine, Vintage Editorials
Sweater and hat by Bus Stop, shorts by Feathers.
Scanned from Petticoat, 9th May1970. Photos by David Hurn.
Top by Gladrags. Shorts and hat by Biba.
Sweater and hat by Bus Stop. Shorts by Biba.
Alice Pollock – Breaking into the big time
1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, ossie clark, petticoat magazine, quorum, radley, Richard Davis
Photograph by Richard Davis
Alice Pollock is twenty-seven. She and Ossie Clark are regarded as one of the most inspired pairs of designers in England. Their Quorum range can uually be counted on for style, originality and incredible appeal. Yet it wasn’t such a long time ago that they’d never even heard of each other and she had never even dreamed about designing clothes.
“Before Quorum I’d done lots of things but I suppose could mainly be called a film assistant. I worked with Tony Richardson and Orson Welles. I had this ambition to own my own company, so I formed one to make chairs. They weren’t very successful so I started designing clothes. I suppose they seemed more lucrative.
“That was when I got my first break. I’ve had several. All of them were terribly important. I couldn’t have done at all well without them. But the first break was getting the first range of clothes photographed by Queen. There were ten garments. It was marvellous publicity. It helped us get established and was tremendous. The next great break was meeting Ossie.
“A friend of a friend suggested we meet one day. He just walked through the door, a quiet, dark little man, nothing like the Ossie Clark we know today. I thought he was too much. We were like twins. That was incredible. But for ages we were living hand to mouth. Though Quorum had a good reputation we weren’t making it financially. But we were really lucky. Last year Ossie made a deal with Radley Fashions who took us over. that was another break. Things have been marvellous since then.”
Scanned from Petticoat, February 1970
Please do check out Vintage-a-Peel for pieces by Alice and Ossie.
Apples and Pears (and other new listings)
1960s, 1970s, antony price, barbara hulanicki, barry lategan, biba, british boutique movement, chelsea girl, Fiorucci, jean muir, Susan Locke, Vogue, website listings
Rare 1972 Jean Muir dress at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
I am delighted to finally reveal one of the most amazing pieces I’ve had the pleasure of handling and listing over at Vintage-a-Peel. This superb Jean Muir dress hails from 1972, as photographed by Barry Lategan for Vogue of April that year, and is made from one of Muir’s most distinctive prints, the Apples and Pears chiffon (which I already mentioned back in April).
I have also just listed a stunning cocktail mini dress by the supremely talented Antony Price and a definitive disco-era ensemble by iconic brand Fiorucci. Amongst other beauties, of course. Not least a mini dress by seemingly forgotten designer and owner of eponymous King’s Road boutique, Susan Locke. Susan was the girlfriend of actor Jeremy Brett in the late Sixties/early Seventies, and was also one of the first stockists of Terry de Havilland’s wonderful shoes. A fine pedigree, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Antony Price strapless mini cocktail dress at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Floral chiffon Seventies-does-Thirties dress at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Rare Fiorucci pink metallic bustier/trouser ensemble at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Paisley gypsy ‘Jake’ Seventies dress at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Galactic glam rock Seventies Chelsea Girl skirt at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Rare Biba ‘Lolita’-labelled Seventies maxi skirt at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Romantic mid Seventies ‘Lady Charlotte’ maxi dress at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
Rare late Sixties micro mini dress by Susan Locke at Vintage-a-Peel.co.uk
A Peek at the Boutique: John Stephen and Lady Jane
1970s, british boutique movement, carnaby street, john stephen, lady jane
John Stephen boutique. Image © Len Fernandes.
Many, many thanks once again to the wonderful Len Fernandes, who provided us with a fantastic image of the Pussy Galore boutique on Carnaby Street (from 1971) back in April. He has now sent two further images: one of John Stephen’s many boutiques at number 33 and also of Harry Fox’s Lady Jane.
Again, these give us precious glimpses of the somewhat wilted locale; a few years before the rot set in completely, but a good few years after its mid-1960s heyday. Proof that it is always a good idea to photograph seemingly unimportant scenes and buildings, even if the importance may take a few decades to become apparent.
Please do not repost these images without full credit to Len, thank you.
Lady Jane of Carnaby Street. Image © Len Fernandes.
The Prettiest Watercolours
1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, harpers and queen, Inspirational Images, james wedge, liberty's, thea porter, Vintage Editorials
Floaty cover-up in silk chiffon, printed with navy/red/cream, tying at waist; by Alice Pollock for Quorum, about £45. Black lycra swimsuit by Eres, £16.50.
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, June 1973. Photographs by James Wedge.
Belted cover-up in fine cotton voile, with paisley print in pale green/blue/yellow/purple, and long medieval sleeves; £37, Liberty. Pale green lycra bikini; £5, Liberty.
Cotton voile abaya by Thea Porter, with print of Chinese horses in green and brown, and two panels of antique patchwork fabrics; £61, Thea Porter
Inspirational Images: Fulham Road Clothes Shop, 1969
1960s, annacat, Arnaud de Rosnay, british boutique movement, corocraft, fulham road clothes shop, Inspirational Images, sylvia ayton, Vogue, zandra rhodes
Drifting gypsy dress in early morning sea colours. Scarf, top and trousers, 11gns, at the Fulham Road Clothes Shop. Silver chaining over the head by Carlton Payne, about £10, at Annacat. Silver rings by Corocraft.
Superb piece by all-too-scarce design duo Sylvia Ayton and Zandra Rhodes for the Fulham Road Clothes Shop.
Featured in Vogue, May 1969. Photographed by Arnaud de Rosnay.
Guide to Feminine London
1970s, biba, Boston-151, british boutique movement, carnaby street, countdown, crowthers, Emmerton and Lambert, Foale and Tuffin, Illustrations, Janet Ibbotson, just looking, laura ashley, marrian mcdonnell, Michael Farrell, mr freedom, rowley and oram, stirling cooper, stop the shop, Suliman, thea porter, universal witness, yves saint laurent
Illustrated by Michael Farrell. Click to enlarge.
Oh I do love a good map. Especially a fantastically illustrated map of all my favourite shops in London in 1971. It is the nearest I will ever come to being able to walk around them. Sadness ensues…
Scanned from Vanity Fair, July 1971.
British Design Hero: Tommy Roberts
1960s, 1970s, british boutique movement, carnaby street, City Lights, glam rock, Inspirational Images, king's road, kleptomania, mr freedom, pop art, Tommy Roberts
Mr Freedom interior. Photograph: JON WEALLEANS
The lovely Paul Gorman very kindly sent me some sneaky peeky previews of his much-awaited new book about Tommy Roberts (Kleptomania, Mr Freedom, City Lights etc). From what I’ve seen and read so far, this is going to be quite a ‘must have’ book for anyone interested in Sixties and Seventies fashion – and specifically, the British Boutique scene in London at the time.
Cheeky and freaky, Mr Freedom clothes are amongst my very favourites of their kind. The bright, brash shapes, colours and logos have long since moved beyond pop-art irony and into the realms of the iconic themselves. This is the first, and I’m sure will remain the only, definitive look at the life of Roberts and his various other boutiques and projects … and I actually cannot wait to have a hard copy in my hands! I will give it a full review eventually, but until then…
Rock on Tommy, rock on…
You can pre-order Mr Freedom direct from Adelita for a mere £20.
Mr Freedom hotpants, 1970. Photo: Stephen Markeson (The Sun/NI Syndication)
Derek Morton suit for City Lights, 1973. Photographed by David Parkinson
Liz Eggleston 