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”.

Back! And front, and side. Fabulous from all angles

bus stop, cathy mcgowan, clobber, dove clothing company, jean varon, jeff banks, john bates, lee bender, seventies fashion, sixties, website listings

For various tedious reasons, I’ve been a bit quiet on the old website listing front in the past month. But I’m feeling much perkier now, more inspired and oh boy have I got a lot of goodies (just listed, and in the works…). Watch out world!

Right now I’ve just listed an incredible John Bates for Jean Varon dress (1973, just check out the original advert from Vogue), a chocolate brown rayon crepe Lee Bender for Bus Stop beauty, a Dove Clothing Company deep cobalt blue cord maxi dress (perfect for walking through wintry landscapes), a super romantic cream damask Clobber (a.k.a Jeff Banks) dress with flutter sleeves and trailing ribbons….and finally, a slinky blue Cathy McGowan dress with the most gorgeous sleeves and pleated front detail. Yeah, Cathy McGowan….that’s pretty darned rare!

Sandie Shaw Boutique

1960s, cathy mcgowan, celebrity boutiques, jeff banks, personal collection, sandie shaw, twiggy

The other day I promised to show my Sandie Shaw dress. It’s a navy wool crepe with a very nifty little double layered collar (the top layer being in white moss crepe).

I can’t promise this will be a terribly long or informative blog post, because there’s so little information out there about the label. It opened in 1967 and, needless to say, Sandie didn’t design the dresses and shoes (although she had full ‘approval’). I suspect it didn’t last very long, much like Twiggy and Cathy McGowan’s boutique labels. Perhaps there was deemed a conflict of interests when she married designer Jeff Banks in 1968?

Sandie opening her boutique in 1967

I will make Sandie one of my Fashion Icons at some point, whereupon I shall write more comprehensively (if I ever do such a thing) about her and her style. But if any of you are not familiar with our girl, I should probably tell you that her trademark was to sing barefoot. So much was made of the fact that her label was producing shoes!

The images have been taken from footage shown in the BBC’s Queens of Pop programme.

Yes Sandie, I’d be grimacing if they put me in a wig like that!

A screengrab cannot truly capture the seriously groovy Sixties dancing going on at this point.

Ouch, bunions ahoy!

Ms. Peelpants and The Art of Lounge

1970s, biba, british boutique movement, cathy mcgowan, kate bush, mr freedom, ossie clark, zandra rhodes

Lazy
I want to be lazy
I want to be out in the sun
With no work to be done
Under that awning
They call the sky
Stretching and yawning
And let the world go drifting by

I want to peep
Through the deep
Tangled wildwood
Counting sheep
til I sleep
Like a child would
With a great big valise full
Of books to read
where its peaceful
While I’m
Killing time
Being lazy

Well, truth be told Mr Berlin, I get lazy in autumn rather than summer. Don’t get me wrong, I long to go out and kick up some crispy fallen leaves with my newly-pulled-out-of-storage favourite patent knee highs and snuggled up in my cinnamon coloured chenille coat. Who doesn’t? But mmmm…….bed is a very inviting place in the Autumn. When the temperature is just the right side of downright nippy…..but you still let out a little moan and snuggle back under the duvet.

Suddenly autumn is the time you start looking at new cushions and bedspreads and get all excited about those delicious cinnamon, claret and chocolate shades. Actually…excuse me while I go stock up on all those delicious things. And while I’m at it, I may have to buy a whole load of cushions, fabric and set to work creating my own little Biba boudoir retreat.

Trouble is, we’ve lost the art of lounge. Back in the Seventies they catered brilliantly for this delicious indulgence. Like a nouveau Rococco period, where negligees and beautiful slippers were made just the right side of dressy so you never needed to emerge from that dreamy morning state….right through til your dinner party. Check out the Petticoat fashion spread I’ve scanned in, all about how to dress for lounging. Now that’s a clothing lifestyle I can really get on board with. And I’ve also included a picture of the untouchably awesome Kate Bush – just check out the colour of that divine original Thirties dress!

Laziness doesn’t necessarily mean slobbishness, so I say reclaim your weekend!!! Learn how to lounge!! Screw minimalism, create a luscious boudoir and lock the door on the world. You’ll need the clothes too, but really most vintage will do the trick for this. Put on that Ossie or Biba you’ve not had the guts to wear out yet. Same goes for the platforms, you’ve not had a chance to wear them outside yet so you can wear them in bed. Their time will come, but don’t keep them in a box until it does!!

Pour a glass of wine, break off a large piece of chocolate…..okay, maybe two large pieces…..oh what the hell, have the whole pack! And just indulge your senses……

In case you still need some clothes to lounge in, try these beauties…..

L-R: Cathy McGowan claret maxi dress, Biba red velveteen maxi dress, Zandra Rhodes print loungewear gown, Mr Freedom sateen maxi dress, Wallis moss crepe maxi skirt and coat set.

V&A’s Swinging Sixties Exhibition

1960s, annacat, british boutique movement, carnaby street, cathy mcgowan, gerald mccann, jean varon, john bates, john stephen, personal collection, pussy galore, victoria and albert museum

Since I’m distinctly unimpressed with the myspace blog facility, I thought I’d repost my images from the V&A Swinging Sixties Exhibition over here. The John Bates exhibition opens on the 13th July so I shall attempt to get photos of that too.