stirling cooper

The Grand Affair

19 magazine, 1970s, antony price, art deco, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, clobber, David Tack, Inspirational Images, interiors, jeff banks, ossie clark, radley, Sidgreene, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials
Screen printed satin suit by Biba. Brooch, cigarette case and lighter all from Jolly and Marsh at Kensington Market.
Crepe halter midi dress by Clobber.

Grand affairs call for grand clothes, and provide a welcome opportunity to get out of our peasant blouses and jeans and dress accordingly. The nicest thing about fashion at the moment is that everyone is so confused as to what they should be wearing, that you can wear exactly what you like. We opt for the romantic Garbo fashion, tarted up in the ’71 style, because girls are beginning to look like girls again and, although we sympathise with Women’s Lib., we don’t believe you have to look like a fella to get equal rights!

Possibly the most perfect encapsulation of the Seventies-does-Thirties aesthetic, this homage to Art Deco features some of the most lust-worthy clothes from my favourite designers and boutiques. Including Biba, Ossie Clark and some rare Antony Price for Stirling Cooper!

Photographed in the home of interior designer Graeme Gibson rather than in a studio, the authenticity is heightened by the location and the props, and then finished with the sweet illustrated photoframes.

Photographed by David Tack.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from 19 Magazine, January 1971.

grand affair 3

Crepe dress by Antony Price for Stirling Cooper. T-strap shoes from Sacha.

Aegean print pinafore dress by Sidgreen.
Crepe dress by Antony Price for Stirling Cooper. Shoes from Sacha.
Moss crepe dress by Ossie Clark for Radley.
Black crepe dress with white print by Radley.

Inspirational Editorials: Short and Shaggy

1970s, Adrian Mann, Brian Downes, british boutique movement, bus stop, che guevara, corocraft, gordon king, Honey Magazine, Inspirational Images, John Craig, Martha Hill, Maudie Moon, Ronnie Stirling, sheridan barnett, simon massey, stirling cooper, Sujon, Vintage Editorials, wallis
Chunky fake fox Borg jacket with orange satin lining and shiny satin trousers both from Wallis Shops. Feather embossed crepe de chine shirt by Ronnie Stirling at Stirling Cooper. Dog brooch by Corocraft. Rings by Adrien Mann. Flocked peaches and cherries both by Adrien Mann.

Chunky fake fox Borg jacket with orange satin lining and shiny satin trousers both from Wallis Shops. Feather embossed crepe de chine shirt by Ronnie Stirling at Stirling Cooper. Dog brooch by Corocraft. Rings by Adrien Mann. Flocked peaches and cherries both by Adrien Mann.

Add a bit of extravagance to your life with freaky shaggy jackets in flamboyant fur fabrics — everything from bold plaids and curly poodle wools to mock animal prints. Dress up everyday skirts and trousers with short boxy boleros and bottom-skimming jackets with wide 40s shoulders. Best of all, go vampy with shiny satin trousers or shorts and add a final sparkling touch of diamante.

Photographed by Brian Downes.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Honey, November 1971

Long haired brown Acrylic jacket with plain straight from by Gordon King. Scarlet satin trousers from Wallis Shops. Black and white orchid print blouse by John Craig. Diamante comb by Adrien Mann. Musical note brooch and doggy brooch by Corocraft. Other jewellery by Bus Stop.

Long haired brown Acrylic jacket with plain straight from by Gordon King. Scarlet satin trousers from Wallis Shops. Black and white orchid print blouse by John Craig. Diamante comb by Adrien Mann. Musical note brooch and doggy brooch by Corocraft. Other jewellery by Bus Stop.

Scarlet and navy Courtelle plaid bolero jacket and black satin shorts both from Martha Hill. Cherry red and multi coloured cotton voile shirt by Jasper from Stop the Shop. Sheer tights by Sunarama. All jewellery by Bus Stop.

Scarlet and navy Courtelle plaid bolero jacket and black satin shorts both from Martha Hill. Cherry red and multi coloured cotton voile shirt by Jasper from Stop the Shop. Sheer tights by Sunarama. All jewellery by Bus Stop.

Furry tiger printed Courtelle bolero jacket and pale lemon, coffee and white coin spotted cotton satin Oxford bags, both from Martha Hill. Rust and black confetti spotted blouse by John Craig. Cherries and bangles by Adrien Mann.

Furry tiger printed Courtelle bolero jacket and pale lemon, coffee and white coin spotted cotton satin Oxford bags, both from Martha Hill. Rust and black confetti spotted blouse by John Craig. Cherries and bangles by Adrien Mann.

Boxy Borg jacket with scarlet satin lining and satin trousers both by Sujon. Bubble printed silk shirt by Jasper. Cherries and other jewellery by Adrien Mann.

Boxy Borg jacket with scarlet satin lining and satin trousers both by Sujon. Bubble printed silk shirt by Jasper. Cherries and other jewellery by Adrien Mann.

Shaggy Courtelle jacket by Maudie Moon from Che Guevara. Slinky satin trousers from Wallis Shops. Crepe de chine blouse by John Craig. Star brooches by Adrien Mann. Diamante musical note brooch by Corocraft.

Shaggy Courtelle jacket by Maudie Moon from Che Guevara. Slinky satin trousers from Wallis Shops. Crepe de chine blouse by John Craig. Star brooches by Adrien Mann. Diamante musical note brooch by Corocraft.

Square shouldered shaggy jacket by Sheridan Barnett for Simon Massey. Slippery sati shorts from Martha Hill. Floppy crepe de chine by John Craig. Butterfly brooch by Adrien Mann. Other jewellery by Bus Stop.

Square shouldered shaggy jacket by Sheridan Barnett for Simon Massey. Slippery sati shorts from Martha Hill. Floppy crepe de chine by John Craig. Butterfly brooch by Adrien Mann. Other jewellery by Bus Stop.

Inspirational Editorials: Maybe I was just born liberated

1970s, alice pollock, british boutique movement, Celestia Sporborg, Foale and Tuffin, Frank Horvat, Inspirational Images, just looking, kurt geiger, ossie clark, radley, ritva, stirling cooper, vanity fair
celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 6

Stirling Cooper

This photoshoot, featuring the brilliantly named Celestia Sporborg, is another one of my all-time favourites, and one I have put off scanning for a long while because Vanity Fair is actually a rather painful magazine to scan. The gummed spine, with age, does not enjoy being flattened so it requires extra effort to maintain some kind of structural integrity. I couldn’t NOT scan though. I love these images. I love the blurriness, her natural facial expressions, the very domestic backdrop and, of course, the completely mind-blowingly fabulous clothes. I don’t know where to start. That Stirling Cooper above is just so modern. And the Radley playsuit, so very Glam. And the Ossie… Plus Alice Pollock, Foale and Tuffin and a Ritva sweater I sold on Vintage-a-Peel a few years back…

It also identifies the shots from Vanity Fair’s Guide to Modern Etiquette, ‘Nice Girls Do’, which I posted about before. To contextualise this shoot, the entire June issue is dedicated to feminism and liberation. Certainly one of the main reasons I love Vanity Fair almost above all other magazines of the period is the fact that they would theme all the contents of an issue, including the fashion spreads.

Celestia Sporborg is now a casting director herself, with over a hundred film credits on IMDB. She married theatre and film producer Robert Fox (brother of James and Edward) in 1975 and they had three children together.

Photographed by Frank Horvat.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vanity Fair, June 1971

celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 3

Foale & Tuffin

celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 4

Radley

celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 5

Ossie Clark

celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 1

Ritva

celestia sporborg by frank horvat vanity fair 1971 2

Alice Pollock

Guy Day: Bring your man up to date

1970s, british boutique movement, hard rock cafe, leonard, Marc Leonard, Mensday, menswear, missoni, mr freedom, sonia rykiel, stirling cooper, Tommy Roberts, vanity fair
Look at him. God's gift to women.

“Look at him. God’s gift to women.

But before you start chucking him back, remember the average British male is all you’ve got to work on. So get working on him. Tell him you think his barber stinks. Say you’ll scream if he turns up in that seedy safari jacket, with those baggy drainpipes, and bunion-hugging shoes again. Meantime, wear this pale blue hooded coat £45, matching poloneck with red chevron front £21, and matching trousers £28. All by Sonia Rykiel at Browns.”

This is a quite-frankly-amazing little photo story from Vanity Fair, which sees our Cinderfella hero being taken from baggy drainpipes to novelty-print-shirted Hard Rock Cafe God, via the Kensington Church Street branch of Mr Freedom and Leonard of Mayfair.

Photographed by Marc Leonard. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vanity Fair, January 1972

Once he's started growing his hair,

“Once he’s started growing his hair,

…swap the chat for action. Shove him into Mr. Freedom, 2- Kensington Church Street, W8. Strip off his drainpipes and fit him into a pair of red velvet jeans, £7.75. Rip off his jacket and zip him into a red-and-white satin top, £7.95. (It’s got FAR OUT splashed over the shoulders to make sure he gets the message). And while you’re there, buy yourself some pale blue satin trousers, £5.25, a furry acrylic leopard-skin blouse, £9.95, and a black pom-pom beret, £4.”

This is when the sow's ear really turns into a silk purse.

“This is when the sow’s ear really turns into a silk purse.

He’s at Leonard, 6 Upper Grosvenor Street, W1 (even if you had to frog march him there), being tactfully handled by Peter. Wash, cut and blow-dry costs £3.75, beard 5-p. extra – not much when you consider it’s made a mean-moody-magnificent out of that surly yobo of yours.”

Doesn't he look lovely?

“Doesn’t he look lovely?

Sitting in the Hard Rock Cafe in his grey wool barathea Stirling Cooper suit, £28.00 with a waistcoat, and his tiny-man-patterned shirt, £4.90. Both from Way-In, Hans Crescent, SW1. You’re in your Missoni four-piece (orangey battledress top, matching trousers, orange silky blouse and toning striped tank top). £75 from Browns. Thinking what a perfect couple you make. Except that now he’s thinking: ‘Blimey mate, you could do a lot better than her if you tried.'”

Inspirational Editorials: The Gypsy in You

1970s, Alan Rodin, Bernshaw, Chelsea Antiques Market, clobber, Emmerton and Lambert, Ginger Group, Inspirational Images, John Carter, Marlborough, mary quant, Mexicana, petticoat magazine, Pourelle, ravel, Sacha, stirling cooper
Blouse, waistcoat and skirt from Emmerton Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market. Boots by Sacha.

Blouse, waistcoat and skirt from Emmerton Lambert, Chelsea Antique Market. Boots by Sacha.

Welcome to my fashion brain as it is at the moment, particularly the first and last images. This spread is everything I love about late Sixties/early Seventies style, and more. No change is permanent, I still wake up in a different mood each day, but for the most part I am feeling the need to cover up, tune out and drift around…

“Take the whirl of lace petticoats and the swirl of countrified prints. Add gypsy flowers, baubles, bangles and beads. Find yourself a long, lazy spring afternoon, relax – and think nothing but beautiful…”

Photographed by John Carter. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Petticoat, March 1970

the gypsy in you - john carter - mar 70 - gingergroup

Spotted crepe dress and shawl by Mary Quant’s Ginger Group

the gypsy in you - john carter - mar 70 - clobber 2 and pourelle

Dress by Clobber. Feather cape from Chelsea Antique Market. Printed chiffon dress by Pourelle.

the gypsy in you - john carter - mar 70 - mexicana clobber

Dress by Clobber. Slingbacks by Ravel. Shirt by Mexicana. Skirt by Alan Rodin. Shoes by Ravel.

the gypsy in you - john carter - mar 70 - clobber and stirling cooper

Dress by Clobber. Shoes by Modaine. Blouse by Stirling Cooper. Skirt by Bernshaw. Boots by Sacha.

the gypsy in you - john carter - mar 70 - marlborough

Dress by Marlborough. Feather cape from Chelsea Antique Market.

Charlotte Rampling: Handle with care

1970s, Barry McKinley, celia birtwell, charlotte rampling, cosmopolitan, Deirdre McSharry, harriet, Henry Miura, Inspirational Images, ossie clark, Randall Lawrence, stirling cooper
Charlotte Rampling, who has made the headlines by living with two men and "loving them equally" - Randall Lawrence here is one - has recently married the other, Brian Southcombe. But there's no breakup in what she calls "her family". Here Charlotte cuddles up to her Best Man, a champagne girl in a pop outfit. Pepsi top and trousers by Harriet.

Charlotte Rampling, who has made the headlines by living with two men and “loving them equally” – Randall Lawrence here is one – has recently married the other, Brian Southcombe. But there’s no breakup in what she calls “her family”. Here Charlotte cuddles up to her Best Man, a champagne girl in a pop outfit. Pepsi top and trousers by Harriet.

Some stunning photos of the divine Charlotte Rampling, wearing some incredible clothes, scanned from [a slightly crinkly copy of] Cosmopolitan, April 1972. Shame the copy is so utterly, horridly anti-feminist. What gives, Deirdre McSharry? This is Cosmo, after all…

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Cosmopolitan, April 1972. Photographed by Barry McKinley.

Even the most liberated, jeans-uniformed, free-thinking women will be melting at the seams this summer. She’ll be babying herself in cheesecloth, swathing her shoulders in chiffons, oozing into tight, bright “message” clothes and generally dressing up as if she hadn’t got the vote. If your mind is ticking over OK, what’s the matter with appearing as “woman-as-a-sex-object”? A little female fragility never hurt a good fight yet … If you dress in a fragile manner you’ll be handled with care.

Stirling Cooper blazer and trousers. Wavy Navy shirt by Browns.

Stirling Cooper blazer and trousers. Wavy Navy shirt by Browns.

How to be tatooed while staying a lady. Charlotte has the art in this cheesecloth t-shirt and leather trousers. Tattoos turn a lot of men on - but if not you can just slip this lot off. By Henry Miura.

How to be tattooed while staying a lady. Charlotte has the art in this cheesecloth t-shirt and leather trousers. Tattoos turn a lot of men on – but if not you can just slip this lot off. By Henry Miura.

Cream flannel trousers with straps by Ossie Clark

Cream flannel trousers with straps by Ossie Clark

Blouse printed by Celia Birtwell and designed by Ossie Clark

Blouse printed by Celia Birtwell and designed by Ossie Clark

Inspirational Editorials: Coats at the Barbican

1960s, Architecture, Barbican, Elgee, Inspirational Images, petticoat magazine, Richard Dunkley, stirling cooper, Vintage Editorials, wallis

Coat by Elgee

I spent a month working at the Barbican last year, and fell in love with its strange beauty while I wandered around on my breaks. Sometimes these things need to grow on you, or for time to pass on past experiences; it is safe to say that I was never much of a fan during the seemingly endless trips to see the RSC there in my schooldays, nor when I went for a rather traumatic audition at Guildhall…

Amazing to see this glorious Petticoat spread, photographed at the Barbican when it was still a little Brutalist Baby in 1973.

Photographed by Richard Dunkley. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Petticoat, October 1973

Coat by Shapes

Coat by Stirling Cooper

Coat by Sheraton

Coat by Wallis Shops

Inspirational Images: Clothes to get you back in his arms

1970s, Barbara Trentham, british boutique movement, chelsea cobbler, cosmopolitan, Deirdre McSharry, Early Bird, harold ingram, Inspirational Images, jean muir, kari ann muller, mary quant, medusa, norman eales, paulene stone, stirling cooper, Tsaritsa, Vintage Editorials

Barbara wears halter top and pleated skirt by Mary Quant, £23 for the rigout, and shoes by Chelsea Cobbler. He wears intarsia sweater by Ballantyne.

Nice girls are turning a cold shoulder on some of the best looking men around. Perfectly enchanting girls, like Twiggy, who flashes her famous shoulder blades at Christopher Gable through her sleeveless, backless The Boy Friend costumes. And who can forget Lauren Bacall and lngrid Bergman acting with their backs turned on Bogie in all those Late Late Show films. Now you can make some of the best exit lines in the backless—and fairly frontless—cIothes previewed here. lt’s clear that fashion is on the side of the female female in clothes that show off a nice warm back and allow plenty of MANoeuvring room. Putting the Back-to-Basics through their paces in many of the pictures are Barbara Trentham and Gary Myers, a couple of Cosmo people to watch. Blonde, brainy Barbara with the 1,000-watt smile will soon be seen in her first film, opposite Shirley MacLaine. called, if you can believe it, The Possession of Joel Delaney, and Aussie Gary is tall, dark and one of television’s busiest tough guys. Together they show that a cold shoulder never turned a good man off…

Scanned from the very first UK edition of Cosmopolitan, March 1972. Photographs by Norman Eales.

Paulene wears chamois leather blouse and pleated skirt by Jean Muir, £46 and £31.50

Paulene Stone in a robe from Browns, £20

Barbara wears dress by Early Bird, £7. Gary’s sweater is by Harold Ingram, £3.30

Barbara wears dress by Mary Quant, £15

Barbara wears strappy crepe dress by Medusa, £9.95

Barbara wears dress by Tsaritsa, £29. Shoes by Mary Quant.

When both ladies turn up in identical tank tops scooped low, a man scarcely knows where to put his eyes. Dark Janni and tawny Kari-Anne [sic] fill out backless sweaters by Stirling Cooper, £2.95. Janni’s red jersey trousers are £9.60, also by Stirling Cooper. Yellow satin jeans by Medusa, £17.91.

Video: London Fashion, 1975

1970s, Bernshaw, bill gibb, british boutique movement, bus stop, Jaeger, Jane Cattlin, Janet Ibbotson, katharine hamnett, lee bender, ossie clark, stirling cooper, tuttabankem, Yuki

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!

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.