Cathy McGowan’s Boutique

1960s, biba, british boutique movement, cathy mcgowan, celebrity boutiques, Foale and Tuffin, ossie clark, personal collection

One of my treasured pieces of fashion ‘ephemera’ is a flimsy paper catalogue for Cathy McGowan’s boutique range of clothes, which launched in 1965. I was pleased for it to be used in Richard Lester’s new book Boutique London: A History: King’s Road to Carnaby Street but, since only the front page was scanned and featured, I thought I ought to scan and share the rest of it!

Cathy ended up getting married in an amazing Celia-print Ossie Clark dress, but at this point she was alternating between Foale and Tuffin and Biba for presenting Ready Steady Go!. You can see a definite Foale and Tuffin influence in these clothes, I think, and I have often wondered how ‘proper’ designers at the time felt about these strange new celebrity “boutiques”.

Peek Inside The Boutique: Biba

barbara hulanicki, biba, british boutique movement, seventies fashion, telegraph magazine

BIBA

254 Kensington High Street, W8

Biba, probably the best known of all the boutiques, began business six years ago with a mail order offer of a gingham shift and scarf for 25s, because fashion illustrator Barbara Hulanicki thought it was impossible to buy inexpensive well designed clothes and decided to do something about it. At the end of last year, in premises 16 times the size of the original boutique in Abingdon Road, Biba opened as a store selling not only clothes but also accessories, make up and home furnishings, Barbara Hulanicki’s distinctive style is carried through all her designs, sold only at the store and by mail order catalogue. She works with her husband, Stephen Fitzsimon.

Hair by Barbara Hulanicki. Photographs by Duffy.
Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Daily Telegraph Magazine, July 17th 1970

Barbara Hulanicki in the store, where carpets and furnishings have all been designed with complementary colours and patterns. Child’s dress, 6 gns.

On the mezzanine floor. Crepe coat and trousers, 15 gns

Mirrored on the staircase: a slim crepe dress, 9 gns.

Printed Tricel dress, 9 gns.

Hair by Barbara Hulanicki. Photos by Duffy.

Peek Inside The Boutique: Foale and Tuffin

1970s, brian duffy, british boutique movement, Foale and Tuffin, ingrid boulting, telegraph magazine

Marion Foale (left) and Sally Tuffin in their boutique.

Foale and Tuffin Ltd

1 Marlborough Court W1

Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin spent three years designing clothes under their own label before opening the Foale and Tuffin boutique in 1965. Their designs, often based on history, are still sold to other stores and boutiques in Britain and they export to the U.S. and Europe as well. They design for a relaxed way of life and make clothes they or their friends could wear.

The Daily Telegraph Magazine, July 17th 1970

Photos by Duffy.

Chiffon blouse, £7, and three matching skirts, £7 each.

Printed cotton dress, £12 10s. Hair by Vidal Sassoon.

Inspirational Images: Annacat, 1969

1960s, annacat, british boutique movement, hats, Inspirational Images, Vogue

Annacat outfit. Vogue’s Own Boutique. Vogue, May 1969

Hard Glam Rock

1970s, alkasura, british boutique movement, Copper Coin, eric clapton, Foale and Tuffin, glam rock, hard rock cafe, mary quant, maureen starkey, mr freedom, pete townshend, sheridan barnett, van der fransen

Left: Shirt by Hans Metzen at Elle. Midi tartan culottes by Foale and Tuffin. Boots by Sacha. Hat by Bermona / Right: Vest by Girl. Sujon pants and battle jacket by Vanessa Frye. Shoes by Sacha.

One of my favourite Petticoat spreads, from September 1971, which I haven’t scanned in full before (why? I have no idea….). It was photographed at the Hard Rock Cafe in London, and published a mere three months after it opened (June 1971). The Hard Rock was a different beast back then, the memorabilia which would later become such a huge part of its identity was a later addition and quite haphazardly acquired to begin with.

Isaac Tigrett (later to marry Maureen Starkey, whom he would often introduce as “My most authentic piece of rock and roll memorabilia.”) and Peter Morton opened their American-style diner in an old Rolls Royce dealership on Park Lane. It became an instant hit with their musician and music-loving friends. They could come along, post-gig, for a hit of fast food, good company and a relaxed atmosphere. The decor developed from eclectic Americana into iconic music memorabilia, as various musicians donated their old instruments and clothes to their beloved Hard Rock diner.

‘So Clapton got to be friends with the proprietors and asked them to save him a regular table, put up a brass plaque or something. And the young proprietors said, “Why don’t we put up your guitar?” They all had a chuckle, and he handed over a guitar, and they slapped it on the wall.

No one thought much more about it. Until a week later, when another guitar arrived (a Gibson Les Paul, by the way). With it was a note from Pete Townshend of The Who which read: “Mine’s as good as his. Love, Pete.” ‘

From the official Hard Rock website.

This photoshoot is a rare insight into how the Hard Rock would have looked when it first opened and before it acquired its now legendary status and worldwide domination.

It’s also packed full of glam rock, British Boutique goodness and is almost as delicious as a Hard Rock Apple Cobbler….

Photos by Roger Charity. Fashion by Sue Hone.

Tartan pinny with button sides by Foale and Tuffin. Vest with red trim and heart buttons by Dranella. Boots by Sacha.

Left: Rhona Roy smock, under pinny by Copper Coin. Shoes by Elliotts. / Right: Syndica vest from Girl. Skirt by Mr Freedom. Jewellery from Paradise Garage. Shoes by Sacha

Left: Velvet suit by Marielle. Sox by Mr Freedom. Shoes by Ravel. / Right: Bermudas by Foale and Tuffin. Sweater from Elle Shops. Bangles by Biba. Sox by Quant. Shoes by Mr Wik.

Copper Coin red and blue pinny by Sheridan Barnett. Black pants by Gordon King. Shirt by Alkasura. Shoes by Quant.

Smock by Copper Coin. Top by Van Der Fransen.

Peek Inside The Boutique: marrian-mcdonnell

brian duffy, british boutique movement, christopher mcdonnell, marrian mcdonnell, seventies fashion, telegraph magazine

Christopher McDonnell in the South Molton Street boutique. The model wears a blouse and layered culottes in organza, 42 gns.

I love these sparse and splendid boutique insights you can occasionally glean from vintage magazines. A while ago, to my shame, I promised that I would scan the entire of this July 1970 Telegraph Magazine article on London boutiques. Slap my wrist and call me Kate Moss, I clean forgot. I intend to amend, starting with marrian-mcdonnell.

marrian-mcdonnell

45 South Molton Street, W1 and 80 Sloane Avenue, SW3

The first Marrian-McDonnell boutique opened in Sloane Avenue in April 1966. Christopher McDonnell, who had been a fashion editor with Queen magazine, where he met Mary Ann Marrian, designed clothes that were casual but elegant. A whoesale range was produced soon afterwards to meet the demand from other stores, and now the partners export to the U.S. and Scandinavia, too.

In 1968 the second boutique opened in South Molton Street, and its success emphasises Christopher’s flair for giving a touch of glamour to classic fashion.

The Daily Telegraph Magazine, July 17th 1970

(This photo by Guy Cross) Safari jacket, 13 gns, knitted trousers and floor length coat, 19 gns.

Typical Marrian-McDonnell ensemble is this cotton midi-dress with matching sleeveless coat, 20 gns.

Outside the dressing rooms, jersey jumpsuit, 13½ gns, worn with zip-fronted snakeskin jacket, 45½ gns.

Hair by David at Michaeljohn. Photos by Duffy.

Smartie Pants

1970s, antony price, british boutique movement, bus stop, celia birtwell, christian dior, clobber, Diana Crawshaw, hotpants, mary quant, mr freedom, ossie clark, Patrick Russell, ritva, stirling cooper, telegraph magazine, universal witness, yves saint laurent
Smartie Pants

Shorts have been with us for some time now – “hot pants” making even starlets front page news – but the big question was whether they were here to stay, or were just a gimmick. Increasing sales seem to show that they are really catching on, and now the big stores are stocking them. For those with the youth and legs to enjoy them, we bring the very latest designs.

Photographed by Patrick Russell.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Telegraph Magazine, April 1971
Outfit by Anthony for Stirling Cooper. All menswear by YSL.

Outfit by Antony for Stirling Cooper. All menswear by YSL.

Shorts and top by Bus Stop. Shirt by Toto from Crowthers

Shorts and top by Bus Stop. Shirt by Toto from Crowthers

Outfit by Diana Crawshaw for Mr Freedom

Outfit by Diana Crawshaw for Mr Freedom

Top and scarf by Ossie Clark from Quorum. Shorts by Clobber

Top and scarf by Ossie Clark from Quorum. Shorts by Clobber

Outfit on left by Diorling at Christian Dior. Outfit on right by Sheilagh Blagden at Stirling Cooper

Outfit on left by Diorling at Christian Dior. Outfit on right by Sheilagh Blagden at Stirling Cooper

Outfit on left by Ritva. Outfit on right by Paul Reeves for Universal Witness.

Outfit on left by Ritva. Outfit on right by Paul Reeves for Universal Witness.

 

Lazy August Days….

british boutique movement, chelsea girl, Eighties Fashion, goth, hotpants, jeff banks, louis caring, paraphernalia, sarah whitworth, seventies fashion, sixties, website listings

But I can’t stop working. Apologies for the mixed bag of listings, we’re still straddling two seasons at the moment (fashion-wise) so I’m trying to keep it light but trans-seasonal. This is harder than you might think. I’m also working on Autumn-orientated listings which will be coming towards the end of the month in preparation for a luscious September (fingers crossed). I might sneak the odd incredible designer piece on the block before then though, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

But what am I talking about? I’ve got a few amazing pieces just listed now, including Jeff Banks, Louis Caring, Paraphernalia and Sarah Whitworth.




Vogue’s Own Boutique

alice pollock, british boutique movement, chelsea cobbler, fulham road clothes shop, ossie clark, quorum, sixties, sylvia ayton, Vogue, zandra rhodes

A conversation with M last night got me thinking about the origins of the idea of ’boutique’. If it was a somewhat posthumous term applied to the era by fashion historians, in the same way that ‘Renaissance’ would not have been understood by anyone living through the Renaissance.

But then I remembered the veritable goldmine of information featured in Vogue in the late Sixties called ‘Vogue Boutique’ or variations on that phrase. So, I guess, no would be the answer. They did call it ’boutique’. This gem (featuring an outfit by Alice Pollock and another by Zandra Rhodes and Sylvia Ayton) is from July 1969. More to come, as and when I remember them…..

Prima della mia vacanza….

british boutique movement, celia birtwell, jean varon, john bates, ossie clark, seventies fashion, sixties, stirling cooper, website listings
Stirling Cooper

New listings! Oh yes….

Miss Novell

John Bates for Jean Varon

Ossie Clark

Louis Caring

John Bates for Jean Varon

Victor Costa

Act III

Simon Ellis