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I want to take you back to London of 1982 when London youth culture was exploding. With punk still lingering in the distance, youth’s from all over the world descended on London to be part of the thriving colorful scene. I was eighteen and sent by my mum to stay with auntie in Northampton. I decided to play hooky from shoveling manure on Auntie Mildred’s farm and opted for the action of London. At that time King’s Road was like a catwalk for all of London’s most fashionable. On any given day you could see every hair color in existence with haircuts and styles that baffled and amused. Groups and gangs of stylish up-to-the-minute looks. People themselves were walking art and this was all during the day. Promenading, posing and parading, some designers, some aspiring pop stars and artists muses with lots of contrast and individuality. Lots of makeup, boys and girls, with androgyny being most popular. There were punks, new romantics, posh boys, teds, gothics and various styles such as foundry and Westwood’s buffalo’s. To me it was all too fabulous a time. I could spend the day shopping, people watching and posing. I was living the life I had read about in magazines, a youth renaissance. The music, the people , the shops. At the end of the King’s Road was a most unusual shop called World’s End. The front of the shop looked very old, Alice in Wonderland-like with a large clock over the front door that ran backwards. As you opened the door and walked in you felt as if it were a time warp, rickety wood floors that sloped into narrow little hallways which seemed to get smaller and smaller as you walked further. I remember an old chest on the floor with past collection pieces. Against the wall clothing was lined up like outfits already put together. Lots of lovely old world looking outfits with her signature pattern woven though. It all seemed so magical to me, I realized walking back to the tube that I had seen some of the inspired looks on the streets that day. Whether the street inspired her or vice versa it was clear to me that Westwood would endure the ever changing world of trends in London. I returned to London for the years of 1986 & 1987 and the King’s Road was not as interesting as it was in the past. There was now a new High Street to explore like Camden Lock and Covent Garden. Westwood was being praised as a genius by the fashion press. London had truly discovered her and her clothing was everywhere. Seen at most of the clubs I attended such as Sacrosanct, Delirium, The Fridge, Busby’s & The Pyramid. Trendies were everywhere, lots of Japanese dressed in head-to-toe Westwood. The mini-crini and the suit of armor were the most popular. After that period of time I returned to the U.S. My style was completely London trendied out with lots of gear. I insisted on dressing in the fashion of the English gentleman complete with bowler, blue flannel suit and umbrella. I attended Susanne Bartsch’ party Savage and felt that I had arrived. There were lots of Westwood at that time which made me feel at home.
………..fast forward to the early ‘90s. As London was into rave, New York was entering the height of it’s club explosion. There was strong British fashion influence in the clubs due to Susanne Bartschs’efforts. Campy drag was king and people were investing in Westwood shoes. Seven inch tall platform’s in gold patent leather, etc., etc. and corseting that pushed you up even you had no cleavage. So with your ass pushed up from your platform’s and your tits pushed up from your corset it was the perfect and impractical look for club land.
I fled New York City in the mid ‘90s to escape what I saw as the end of clubs for paradise in Miami. My first job was in retail where I found myself selling Westwood. I remember picking up the hanger with the embroidered signature of the orb and the Westwood label and thinking about that first walk through World’s End in London.
Today friends are still talking about Westwood on the heels of the retrospective at the V & A in London. People still tell me stories about how they held on to their Westwood collections for years. Just the other day a friend rang me up to say that the piece which they purchased for £ 25 just sold on eBay for $ 225, “ oh lovely, brilliant”. |
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