olivia newton john

Olivia Newton-John, a seductive siren

1970s, biba, forbidden fruit, Inspirational Images, interior design, interiors, liberty, liberty's, olivia newton john, Rumak and Sample, vanity fair

Olivia Newton-John, a seductive siren if ever there was one, wearing an Indian cotton blouse £4.25, silk patchwork skirt £20, Afghanistan tapestry boots £27.50. All from Forbidden Fruit, 325 King’s Road, SW3, or mail order from Forbidden Fruit, 293a Portobello Road, W11 (provided you send 50p postage and packing that is). Embroidered Persian waistcoat £7 from Liberty, Regent Street, W1. Olivia’s seductively reclining on embroidered velvet cushions, anything from £4 to £40 at Rumak and Sample, in The Incredible Department Store, 92 Brompton Road, SW1. Sexy silk tiffany lampshade, £10.50 from Biba, 124-126 Kensington High Street, W8. Imported metallic wallpaper, £5.33 a roll including tax, comes from John Oliver, 33 Pembridge Road, W11. Add 33p postage and packing if you want him to send you some. Everything else comes from Liberty, and if you write to them, they’ll let you know about mail order possibilities. Black Chinese coffee table £45, Victorian frame stool £40, antique Italian column £18, hand-made Iraqi rug from £40. Reproduction painted icon £4.70, giant Boda goblet, one of a pair at £5.95, copper Persian tray £30, and copper Persian plant pot, £17.85.

Photographer uncredited.

Scanned from Vanity Fair, January 1972.

Chirpy chirpy, not very ‘Cheap Cheap’….

jo grant, katy manning, middle of the road, mr freedom, olivia newton john, sally carr, seventies fashion

Thank you thank you thank you, lovely anonymous reader (please let me know your name or online ‘alter-ego’ so I can say thank you properly) who commented on the previous post with this amazing vintage spot.


Sally Carr from Middle of the Road, wearing the iconic Mr Freedom hotpant outfit. It also came with the knee length variation, as worn by Olivia Newton John.

It was also worn by Miss Peelpants favourite, Katy Manning (Jo Grant in Doctor Who) for a few publicity shots, although I have no idea if she was in the hotpant or baseball short variation.

It was clearly one of their most popular pieces, and does occasionally turn up at auction (with an appropriately hefty price tag). I have never owned the complete ensemble, but I do have a polka dot ‘skater’ dress with matching frilly knickers by Mr Freedom, which I must photograph and share very soon.

Thank you, also, for introducing me to Sally Carr as a potential style icon. I haven’t found many decent photos online just yet, but she does seem to be a hardened hotpant girl (which is to be admired, worshipped and generally cooed over).