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.
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.
By Tom Staebler. Scanned from ‘Hot Shoe’ photography magazine, November 1979
I can’t help but have a sneaking respect for the blatant ‘sex sells camera equipment’ attitude inside the pages of this Hot Shoe magazine from 1979. This one features a shot originally from Playboy Magazine. Phew! Shame the whole pink satin bedsheet dress thing never took off, isn’t it?
Scanned from Vogue, April 1973
I’ve always wondered if the joy of having a sex-ay round bed would be totally outweighed by the task of attempting to make it up? If you can even buy sheets and duvets specifically for a round bed? I fear I may never find out…
Left by Gossard. Right by Marks and Spencer.
A Little More Than Nothing
I must confess that I often find myself ironing in my underwear. Likewise cooking and cleaning. Seems a shame to get things dirty and creased, or myself all hot and bothered, whilst doing household chores. I fear this ‘outs’ me as rather anally retentive as far as clothes are concerned but, I don’t imagine it comes as much of a surprise to anyone.
The other thing with ironing is that I am often ironing a particular outfit at the last minute (having changed my mind fifteen times already…) and it needs to be instantly yanked on while I fly out of the door (having checked twenty times that the iron is turned off. Yes, I am also OCD). So I smiled a smile of familiarity when I saw these gorgeous photographs by Steve Hiett for Flair Magazine.
As always, Seventies undies completely trump all modern underwear as far as I am concerned…
Photographed by Steve Hiett. Scanned from Flair, August 1972
Left by Margit Brandt for Femilet. Right by Warners.
Left by Abecita. Right by Dorothy Perkins.
Scanned from Vogue, April 1973
Top and wrap skirt at Swanky Modes. Sandals from City Lights Studio.
Ah…the Great British Summer. Still, I wouldn’t mind the rain if I had a Swanky Modes transparent raincoat in my armoury. I would probably opt for wearing clothes underneath though. (I know, I’m such a spoilsport!)
Scanned from Nova, August 1973. Photographs by Helmut Newton.
Top and airmen’s trousers by Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.
Trenchcoat with petal-leaf collar at Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.
A-line raincoat with ‘debris’ seal in pockets by Swanky Modes. Sandals at City Lights Studio.
Because he’s Bryan Ferry and because he always seems to soothe me when I’m frazzled. I also love that Kari-Ann Muller is the girl in this video, seeing as how she’s the original Roxy Girl (note the original album cover framed on the wall behind her)… Schmoooooooth.
Time for a little flirtation. Dress by Ossie Clark for Radley.
Possibly one of my favourite, most lush photoshoots of the period by the legendary photographer (and filmmaker) Just Jaeckin. Scanned from Cosmopolitan, February 1974. That Ossie dress? I am largely speechless with desire… except for occasional gurgling sounds.
Lunch can be the nicest meal of the day... Dress and jacket by Daniel Hechter. Hat by Edward Mann. Russell & Bromley shoes. Photographed at Drones, 1 Pont Street, London SW1.
Be a liberated lady. Slip by Kayser.
Staying at home can be more fun that going out. Top and skirt from Laura Ashley. Man’s clothes all from Simpson’s, Piccadilly.
The lady loves to dance. Dress by Bernshaw, shoes by Russell & Bromley. Photographed at Bertie’s, 86 Brompton Road, London SW3.
One of the worst aspects of growing up watching such a long-running and old programme such as Doctor Who, is that you feel an extra-painful twinge of sadness when one of its stars dies. My first remembered experience of this was my beloved Jon Pertwee way back in 1996, and it doesn’t get any easier with time. I have already waxed lyrical on the character of Liz Shaw, way back when I did my geek-a-thon tribute to all the Who girls, but it’s worth saying again that Caroline as Liz was one of my favourite companions – despite her all-too-brief tenure by the Doctor’s side. She had the best legs in Who, was a notable exception to the screaming, helpless girl template (a condition suffered by so many in that programme) and was the most perfect foil to my favourite Doctor.
Liz Eggleston 