The early illustrations of Wojtek Siudmak - Plexus 1969

May 7, 2018, 10:08 am

≫ Next: One Plus One, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Luc Godard - A Rave Magazine Exclusive (1968)

≪ Previous: Smoke and Leather 1971

$

0

0

                                                            PLEXUS

                                       LA  REVUE  QUI DÉCOMPLEXE

Some examples of early graphic artwork created by the Polish born painter Wojtek Siudmak for Plexus, the French erotic magazine, which ran for a total of 37 issues from 1966-1970. It was originally published bimonthly from Issue No.1 (April/May 1966) for twelve issues, then every six weeks from Issue No.13 (March 1968) - No.17, and finally published monthly from Issue No.18 (November 15th 1968) - No.37 (July 1970). I have an almost complete collection (missing four), it's a really interesting magazine, and although eroticism is the thematic focus, each one also contains many interviews and features on various topics such as philosophy, history, literature, art, and fashion, almost all are heavily illustrated throughout with incredible artwork and comic strips. Siudmak, better known for his work as a 'fantastic hyper-realist' artist, became a regular contributor to the publication towards the end of the decade, after he had relocated to France in the mid 1960s. These particular graphics were used consistently in varying colourways throughout the later issues from December 1968 onwards, as an introduction to the listings, review and event pages. I've enlarged them here for display purposes, but in reality each one only measure around 1½'' x 1½''. You can discover more about the artist and view some of my previous posts about Plexus Magazine via the links at the end of the page.

                                                                   IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Plexus, Issue No.23, April 1969. All illustrations by Wojtek Siudmak. View some the artist's current work on the Official Siudmak Website and the Siudmak Online Shop. Further information about Siudmak in this Dangerous Minds post To ‘Dune’ and Beyond: The Interstellar Hyper-Realism of Wojciech Siudmak. View some of my previous Plexus Magazine posts: Aubrey Beardsley Prince De L'Art  Plexus 1968; Dandy Fashion: Les Assassins du Bodygraph - lancent le prêt - à - choquer Plexus 1967; L'Homme Qui Ramassait Les Épingles - Plexus 1968. And finally 'Le Creux Du Rêve' - Illustrations by Paul Barrué - Plexus 1969.

---

One Plus One, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Luc Godard - A Rave Magazine Exclusive (1968)

May 21, 2018, 7:34 am

≫ Next: The Biba Bed-Sitting Room (1970)

≪ Previous: The early illustrations of Wojtek Siudmak - Plexus 1969

$

0

0

The 50th Anniversary of the tumultuous anti-establishment Paris protests of May '68 which eventually brought the entire economy of France to a standstill is upon us, as is the anniversary of the acclaimed French film director Jean-Luc Godard's ''One Plus One'' starring the Rolling Stones from the same year—an early example of work made during what is now regarded as his revolutionary period. It was still in the production stages when this Rave magazine interview with producer Iain Quarrier (who also had an acting role in it) was originally published, and although Quarrier wasn't entirely sure at this point whether or not his own part would make it into the final edit, he was emphatic about one thing—that this was not a Rolling Stones' film—it was a Godard film! However, upon its release, it transpired that Quarrier had made just two but nonetheless very significant changes which altered that balance. Firstly, before the London Premiere, without Godard's knowledge or permission, he re-edited the film's final scene to include the fully completed version of 'Sympathy for the Devil' which is the opening track on Beggars Banquet—the Rolling Stones' seventh studio album, documented in the making by Godard throughout the entire recording process as it evolved at Olympic Studios, in Barnes, West London...he then renamed the film title after it accordingly. It's probably needless to say that these changes caused quite a bit of friction between the two men, and also created a marketing nightmare as both versions were released simultaneously, often screening at the same theatres, adding to the controversy and confusion. Much has been written on the subject over the years, so I've included several links at the end of this post to some of the best that I've found as I sifted through all of the news, reviews, and critiques. However, if you're in the London area, you can see what all the fuss is about for yourself this very week, as One Plus One (or perhaps Sympathy for the Devil) + Intro by Alex Loftus and Mark Shiel from King’s College London will be screening as part of the BFI's Uprising: The Spirit of ’68 Season on Tuesday, 22nd May 2018. And I would also suggest that you check out Rainbow Quarrier, a comprehensive overview of Iain Quarrier's career. I'm surprised that there hasn't been a book or documentary about this man yet, there's certainly enough material and 'Swinging London' backstory there for one, or maybe both! 

Exclusive to RAVE, a report of the Rolling Stones' first film, ''One Plus One''...

It's been three long years since the Rolling Stones first announced their intention to become film stars. It took almost a year for them to discover that they wanted to do '''Only Lovers Left Alive''. By the time they almost got down to starting it, they had changed their minds. And their own personal problems of last year set them back, film-wise, even further. These troubles cropped up once again this year, when after a year's break from the pop world, and just at the point of their 'comeback', which they celebrated with a No.1 record, ''Jumping Jack Flash'', Brian Jones was involved once again in the most unfortunate, drug charges publicity. The old Stones magic is still there, and fortunately so was Brian Jones, for the shooting of their first film ''One Plus One''. It was directed by French avant-garde director, Jean-Luc Godard, and produced by Cupid Productions, the company founded by the Hon. Michael Pearson and Canadian actor Iain Quarrier. The Stones, as always in times of trouble, were hard to get hold of, but producer Quarrier was available to comment on the film. ''The idea was brought to me and I liked it. We wanted to do this film very much, especially with Godard. It's quite a fantastic opportunity to do this, Cupid's first film—and one so big.''  Quarrier has also got a part in this, Godard's first English speaking film, but ''This is really the last thing on my mind at the moment. I'll be very pleased if I am used by him in the film, but it's not definite. He switches around so much that you just don't know what is going to happen next. Nothing is certain.'' Films and film are not new to Quarrier, from the other side of the camera. He's appeared in ''Cul de Sac'' and ''The Vampire Killers'' with ''Wonderwall'' and Roman Polanski's ''Dance of the Vampires'' to come—quite an impressive score.

''This is not a Rolling Stones film, it's a Jean-Luc Godard Film!'' Iain Quarrier

'Godard bases his film on a sort of treatment'' he went on. ''It's all improvisation with the people he uses. He uses people naturally, experimentally. He let's them be themselves. There's never any kind of script, as such.'' How did the Rolling Stones come to be chosen out of all the groups on the pop scene? It was once suggested that the Beatles were very interested in doing this film, but the Stones were chosen as being more suitable. At the mention of the Stones, Quarrier insisted, ''This is not a Rolling Stones' film, it's a Jean-Luc Godard film! The Stones were chosen because we liked them the most, and they seemed much more suitable. Godard's long been an admirer of their creative and musical talent. He just adores them, and they fit in with the whole project of this film.''''One Plus One'' will be based on parallel themes of construction and destruction. The destruction side comes in the form of the old, but ever popular, eternal love triangle, which in this case ends in suicide. Terence Stamp has been approached for a part, but nothing, as yet, has been signed on the dotted line. As far as construction goes, there's the Rolling Stones cutting a record in the Olympic Recording Studio in London. Both situations take place in the same, in the same time —London. 

''Things are going very well. We all roll up at the studio, and Godard and his camera crew are ready to shoot.'' Mick Jagger

How are the Stones shaping up? ''Well, they're just fantastic. Basically it's just the Stones being themselves. Acting as they act in the studio, talking as they talk, all very natural. We were very fortunate to get them. I can't really say more about the film, because with Godard, it's very difficult to say what is actually happening until you've seen the the finished film.'' As for the Stones themselves, they love Godard, and it's all really sort of a mutual admiration society, which can only bring out the best in people. Says Mick, ''Things are going very well. We all roll up at the studio, and Godard and his camera crew are ready to shoot what is to be shot. When there was the fire at at the studio, Godard quickly filmed it—then we ran for our lives!'' Apparently, while the Stones, along with Marianne Faithful, were at the studio, the roof burst into flames and started to collapse. All the Stones equipment was damaged by debris and water. ''It was a pretty fantastic blaze,'' said Mick. ''It was a good job it was the roof. We saw it coming! It was filmed, so there's a small chance it may be included in the film.''  What Godard is actually shooting is the Stones cutting their latest album. ''Beggars Banquet'', released on July 26th, which is Mick's birthday, filming the recording, the hang-ups, everything as it happens.  Said Keith, ''We made our album and we were filmed at the same time. That's the way he does things. He films a bit, then he takes a look at it and decides what to do next. That's the way we like to work too.''  When you will see the film depends on a lot of things. How quickly Godard edits the film, and if there are any more riots in Paris where he works, are factors! Nevertheless, wait and watch out for ''One Plus One''. It all sounds rather interesting, and the Stones captured on celluloid for posterity a very rare milestone in movie history!

Above: The official Cupid Productions trailer for Sympathy for the Devil (1968). But, in spite of the Rave magazine headline, this, as we all know, was not the Rolling Stones first film. Peter Whitehead had previously shot the Stones in 1965 over a three day period as they embarked on a two-date tour of Ireland. The film would premiere a year later as 'Charlie is my Darling' before disappearing from public view after a management change, resurfacing thereafter over the years that followed via poor quality bootleg copies, or at the occasional screening, before eventually seeing an official release by ABKCO Films in 2012.

                            

                                           The Heart of Occident

The aforementioned studio fire, Terence Stamp, and also the narrative regarding the 'eternal love triangle' ending in a suicide may not have made it into the finished version of the film, but Iain Quarrier certainly did, resplendent in purple corduroy, as a bookseller of pornographic literature, reading aloud from Mein Kampf. 

Iain Quarrier - One Plus One (Dir. Jean-Luc Godard - 1968) courtesy of Cupid Productions Ltd. (Note: *All wardrobe Department/Costume Design information absent from the film credits).

      

                                           IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from an original article in Rave Magazine, August 1968. Read an edited transcript of an interview with the director, made for the BBC TV programme Release in November 1968: One to One: Jean-Luc Godard Speaks, and also The Rolling Stone Interview (1969)—A look behind the lens at the famed French new wave director of 'Breathless' and 'Band of Outsiders'. The Depiction of late 1960s Counter Culture in the 1968 films of Jean-Luc Godard'. A look at the events and some of the causes of the uprising in France in the Spring of 1968 - including footage of protests by Godard and Truffaut in defence of Henri Langlois who had been dismissed from his position as co-founder and director at the Cinémathèque Française. The Story Of Olympic Studios—an interview with studio engineer Keith Grant. Discover more about the actor Sean Lynch, who although unseen in One Plus One, can be heard as a constant narrative throughout the film, and you can also view the man behind the voice—Sean Lynch photographed outside Paddington Registry Office on the day of his wedding to English Jazz singer Annie Ross, in London, August 19th 1963. Separation (Dir. Jack Bond - 1968)  Starring Iain Quarrier (*with clothes from Granny Takes a Trip, Quorum, and The Carrot on Wheels). Cupid Productions Ltd the company responsible for two of the classic films of the 1960s and 1970s: the car chase cult movie Vanishing Point, directed by Richard C. Sarafian and the Rolling Stones movie Sympathy for the Devil, aka One Plus One, directed by Jean-Luc Godard. From Paris in the Sinister Sixties to Hollywood’s Magic Castle: Cult Horror actor Ferdy Mayne recalled, among other things,  Quarrier as ''a central supplier of the chemicals, mostly acid, that kept the scene soaring at its stratospheric level.'' Mia Farrow, the American actress, used a four-letter word at Bow Street Court, London, yesterday, when she was called as a witness in the case against Canadian producer Iain Quarrier (16th November 1968). Some more Rolling Stones on film: Charlie is my Darling (Original 1965 cut); The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (1968); Gimme Shelter (1970); Performance (1970) plus, be sure to keep an eye out for the forthcoming limited edition, large format book by author Jay Glennie, with new & unseen images marking the 50th Anniversary of Performance starring Mick Jagger, James Fox, and Anita Pallenberg, available for pre-order soon!; Ned Kelly (1970);  Cocksucker Blues (1972); Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones (1974); The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll movie never made—Only Lovers Left Alive. And finally, The Radical Film Network's 1968 Festival Programme—a worldwide programme of film-based events and discussions around the legacy and potential of 1968 in the popular imagination.

The Biba Bed-Sitting Room (1970)

June 19, 2018, 8:16 am

≫ Next: A Raver's Holiday Guide (1967)

≪ Previous: One Plus One, The Rolling Stones and Jean-Luc Godard - A Rave Magazine Exclusive (1968)

$

0

0

                                     THE BED-SITTING ROOM

How many of you have bothered to do anything to your rooms since you moved into them months and months ago? Are you still living in a shamefully untidy bed-sitter, and do you still get that 'How I wish I had a cheerful, bright room' feeling every time you come home from work? Have you, for weeks now, been meaning to get down on your hands and knees to scrub and scrape? Has your boyfriend repeatedly offered to help wallpaper the ceiling and bang the nails in? We asked Barbara Hulanicki of Biba to design a fairly inexpensive bed-sitter for 19. Incorporating a few original ideas that were not unduly complicated to carry out. She chose Pontings, which has a good whitewood department—the result is rather stunning. You can see the 19 Biba and Pontings bed-sitter on display, from the 19th September, in the window of Pontings, next door to the High Street Kensington tube station. All merchandise can be got from Biba (opposite Pontings) at 124 High Street Kensington, London W8.

ABOVE: Cream satin pyjamas, from Biba, approx. 10gns., matching cap, £4 10s. Upright desk, from Pontings, £6 7s. 6d. painted with one top coat of Biba cream Flat Oil paint, and trimmed with wallpaper border; dressing-table stool, from Pontings, 28s. 9d., decorated to match. Tissue box has been covered in matching Biba wallpaper (with Polycell) at 1s. 2d. per sheet.

ABOVE: Long cream satin nightdress with frilled neckline and tie waist, from Biba, approx 10gns. Single whitewood hardtop divan with two storage drawers, 36ins. wide, from Pontings, £18 4s. Cream lace bedspread, single 7gns., double £9 10s.; and cream satin cushions, small 19s. 6d., large 29s. 6d. All from Biba. Belling Champion convector heaters, from Pontings, £7 19s., painted with two coats of Biba cream Emulsion (turn the heater up to warm it―turn off―then apply paint) and one coat of Biba cream Flat Oil paint. Cream lace at the window, tacked on to give a blind effect and soft light in the room, available from Biba, 15s 6d. per yard. Cream satin lamp, from Biba, 8gns. Whitewood bedside table, 24ins. high, £5 16s.; desk with compartments and shelves (used here as a dressing-table) 39ins.high, 28s. 9d.; blanket box, £6 17s. All from Pontings. The furniture is painted with one top coat of Biba cream Flat Oil paint, then trimmed with chocolate and cream Biba wallpaper. Emulsion paint, 15s. per quart; Flat Oil paint, 9s. 3d. per pint; wallpaper is 1s. 2d. per sheet. All from Biba.

ABOVE: Model wears an ox-blood satin nightdress with lace-up front, from Biba, approx 10gns., with matching scarf tied as a turban, 42s., and choker, 10s. 6d. Biba chocolate brown and cream wallpaper covering walls, ceiling and panels of the bedroom door. The floor has been covered in felt, from Biba, 55s. 6d. per square yard. Cream bedside rug, from Pontings, 5gns. Wall bookshelf (also available with doors, 11s. per pair), from Pontings, 62s. Chest of drawers (five drawers of different depths), 34ins high £13 11s. 6d., valet stand used as a towel rail, 59s 6d. All from Pontings and all painted with Biba Flat Oil paint. Open storage cupboard covered by bedspread, from Biba, 7gns., and lined with wallpaper.

  

                                                   HOW TO DO IT

All you need is a little imagination to change completely the look of a room. Here, along with Biba, we transformed a bed-sitting room and chose a chocolate/cream colour scheme. After the necessary preparations (see below) we gave the furniture a top coat of Biba cream Flat Oil Paint and hung paper on the walls and ceiling and—for continuity used wallpaper borders, applied with Polycell, as a decorative trim, inside the window, bookshelf, stool, desk, blanket trunk, dressing-table and chest of drawers. The wallpaper was also applied to cover the open wardrobe (see picture 3), door-panels and necessary extras. Biba lace cushions and lampshades come in a variety of colours. The following instructions from the furniture manufacturer produce a really professional finish.

                                          BIBA'S HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENT 

Three years later, upon moving to the much larger Derry & Toms building at 99-119 Kensington High Street—twenty times the size of its predecessor, Barbara Hulanicki finally had enough room to expand the lifestyle goods section into a fully fledged Household Department located on the fourth floor of the new premises. It was stocked with Biba furniture, rugs, art deco mirrors, lampshades, fabric, tableware and kitchenware, wallpaper, paint, and much more, along with twenty-four individually themed Biba room sets, designed to display the products as they would look best in a variety of domestic settings, to inspire customers with ideas on how to transform their own living space. The opening day Big Biba newspaper, art directed by Steven Thomas and beautifully illustrated by Kasia Charko which had been created to familiarise shoppers with the new store's layout, devoted an entire page to it, the first line of the introduction copy declared that ''This is where houses start becoming homes.''  

The Biba Household Department illustrated by Kasia Charko for the opening day newspaper, September 10th, 1973.  A total print run of 300,000 copies were produced on newsprint, with a further 1000 limited edition produced on cream cartridge paper.

        

        The Biba Household Department logo, art directed by Steven Thomas, illustrated by Kasia Charko (1973).                            

                                                         BIBA ROOM SETS

BELOW: Some examples of the twenty-four themed Household room-sets, permanently on display at Big Biba 99-119 Kensington High Street, each decorated and stocked with products from the store.                          

                                                                           Biba Room-Set, 1973.

                                                                              Biba Room-Set, 1973.

                                                                              Biba Kitsch Room-Set. 1973.

                                              IMAGE CREDIT & LINKS

All Biba bed-sitting room images scanned by Sweet Jane from an original article by Fiona Bird for 19 Magazine, October 1970. Photographer and model uncredited. Big Biba Opening Newspaper Household Department page 13, Household logo, and Room-Sets scanned from Welcome to Big Biba by Steven Thomas and Alwyn W. Turner. Discover more about Barbara Hulanicki and view some fantastic behind the scenes footage of Biba 124 Kensington High Street filmed around the same period that this 19 Magazine feature was originally published. More boutiques business from Biba 124-126 Kensington High Street (1970); The Maxi-Look from Biba (1970); and Biba's American Debut (1971). An earlier bed-sitting room make-over, this time courtesy of Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark and Molly Parkin—Bedsitter Girl - Jane Asher in Nova (1966). Tips on Cooking in a Bedsitter by Katharine Whitehorn (1963). A detailed history of Ponting Brothers Ltd—John Barker’s Magnificent Department Stores On Kensington High Street. And Finally, the Barbara Hulanicki designed range of wallpapers currently available from Graham & Brown, and her current paint range, which includes shades of  Witchcraft, Fetish, and Earth.

A Raver's Holiday Guide (1967)

July 1, 2018, 2:13 pm

≫ Next: Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Dior, Cardin, Patou, Nina Ricci & Saint-Laurent

≪ Previous: The Biba Bed-Sitting Room (1970)

$

0

0

                        A RAVER'S HOLIDAY GUIDE!

An all-happening guide for ravers spending their summer in Britain! Where to go, what to do, how much it can cost, and how to have fun the rave way. In the next seven pages we spotlight six of the swingiest resorts in Britain. So read on, and have yourself a RAVING holiday....

                             A Raver's Holiday Guide Maps illustrated by Alan Parry (April 1967). 

      ☀☀☀ A RAVER'S GUIDE TO TORQUAY ☀☀☀

     ☀☀☀A RAVER'S GUIDE TO BRIGHTON AND BLACKPOOL ☀☀☀

Read all about where the action is at the rave resorts, and find  your way there with these special rave maps!

                                                                 Illustration by Alan Parry (1967).

                                                                   Illustration by Alan Parry (1967).

                         ☀☀☀ A RAVER'S GUIDE TO GT. YARMOUTH ☀☀☀                                 

                               

                  ☀☀☀ A RAVER'S GUIDE TO BOURNEMOUTH ☀☀☀                                

              ☀☀☀ A RAVER'S HOLIDAY GUIDE TO SOUTHEND ☀☀☀                                

                                 

                                             IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS
All images scanned by Sweet Jane from RAVE Magazine April I967. Illustrations by Alan Parry. Photographer and models uncredited.  View some more illustrations by Alan Parry for Rave in my previous posts: The Pop Market - A Raver's Guide to the Portobello Road Market (1966); The British Boutique Boom! (Part One) and (Part Two) 1965. The Summer of Love filmed around Brighton in 1967 on a standard 8 cine camera. Queen's Park, the sea front, Preston Park's Rock Garden, Brighton Pavilion all make brief appearances. The short lived Biba Boutique at 21 Queen's Road, Brighton—“It was very much the Brighton of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock,” says Hulanicki! Discover more about Swinging Bournemouth—Dorset TV producer Roger Hopkins, grew up in Poole and, by 1963, was cutting his professional teeth as a freelance photographer feeding on Bournemouth’s burgeoning nightclub scene. Memories of watching The Who in Great Yarmouth in the Swinging Sixties. Jimi Hendrix Lays Wild Thing On Blackpool, 1967—Northern innocents have ears blown by psychedelic sonic attack!  And finally, I think it's safe to say that it is most definitely Summer in the City!

Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Dior, Cardin, Patou, Nina Ricci & Saint-Laurent

July 9, 2018, 12:43 pm

≫ Next: Wrangler Jeans & Jackets Print Advert (1970)

≪ Previous: A Raver's Holiday Guide (1967)

$

0

0

                            Les Collections de Printemps 

                    Légendes Du Dossier Haute Couture

(Above) Dior: Abraham black crépe de chine mid-calf dress, Cheval black leather and tortoiseshell belt, religious folds in the bodice!

(Left) Cardin Harem pants, bright yellow satin crépe blouse by Léonard. (Right) Saint-Laurent Flower dress with godets, made in a marvellous voile printed with red-gold Qiana nylon yarns.

             (Above): Cardin Maxi length dress, slit at front, with bell sleeves in double pistachio green pure wool.           

(Left) Patou's Maxi Dress in Veron's fibranne fabric,  in café au lait, white and red. (Right) Féraud: Beige cotton gabardine dress with Courtelle knit inlay and matching trousers.

      (Above) Nina Ricci: Chatillon, striped shantung canvas dress, zip closure, braided leather belt and suede  bow.

(Left) Cardin: Maxi dress in golden salmon and lilac Crépe de Chine, long vest on dress, low belt and collar in vinyl maroon.  (Right) Dior: Crépe de Chine dress, printed in red, yellow and black.

                                             IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned for the Sweet Jane blog from Dépèche Mode, March 1970, Illustrations by F.Pagés, with thanks to Brad Jones.  View some more examples of Paris fashion from Spring 1970 in my previous posts The Ad-Lib Fashion Show at a Paris Bistro (1970) and Paris in the 70s, the Spring Collections Petticoat Magazine (1970). A report on the Maxi Look from Biba in Jours De France (1970). And finally, discover more about Qiana the luxury, silk-like, nylon fibre introduced to the fashion industry by Du Pont in 1968 through its association with various Couture Houses.

Wrangler Jeans & Jackets Print Advert (1970)

July 22, 2018, 8:25 am

≫ Next: Pinch the shirt off his back! Mr Fish, Take 6, Lord John, and The Westerner (1968)

≪ Previous: Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Dior, Cardin, Patou, Nina Ricci & Saint-Laurent

$

0

0

             WRANGLER JEANS AND JACKETS (1970)

Cool gear for cool people. Jeans and jackets designed for the tough life. In denim or soft corduroy. Make the scene in a new pair of pants in parallels or flares. Get hooked on any of 13 shades—like red, lemon, petrol blue, loden, wheat, white, black, rosé and antelope. They're great. They're Wranglers. For illustrated brochure, send postcard to: Wrangler Jeans, Dept. N7, Blue Bell, Colwick Industrial Estate, Nottingham, NG4 2DP.

                                                               IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS
Image scanned by Sweet Jane from 19 Magazine, October 1970. Artist uncredited. View some of my previous 1970s Jeans posts: Just Jeans! (1972); Wrangler denim jackets from The Westerner and wide flare denim jeans from The Emperor of Wyoming in Rags for Riders (1971) ;  Lee Jeans (1970) and The Debutante in Blue Jeans—Tom Wolfe (1970). Discover more about Denim via Jean Genie: The Denim Evolution; View Wrangler's 1970s adverts archive, and finally, The Wrangler way of life (1978).

Pinch the shirt off his back! Mr Fish, Take 6, Lord John, and The Westerner (1968)

August 13, 2018, 8:05 am

≫ Next: From Mary Quant, a completely new look! (1970)

≪ Previous: Wrangler Jeans & Jackets Print Advert (1970)

$

0

0

                          PINCH THE SHIRT OFF HIS BACK!

Girls are stripping men of their shirts! Well, not bodily, but girls are crowding into men's stores to snap up their snappy shirts. Is it because we're envious? Because we're being outshone by dazzlingly dressed males? We ask leading menswear firms the reason for this shirt stampede. Here are their answers, plus a few of our own.

Cecil Gee say girls go for the gorgeous colours now available: pinks, purples, greens, yellows, deep blue. Girls all over the place flock to buy these bright colours that they can't get in blouses in the women's shops!  Mr Fish make some of the most beautiful (and expensive!) shirts in London. They specialize in made-to-measure shirts that are romantically patterned in silk, some with huge bloused sleeves—and girls go for this look so much that twenty-five per cent of their customers are female. In fact Mr Fish are happy to steal girls' ideas for their shirts and make them up for men.  Carnaby Street Shops find that girls go for the cut of their shirts, which they say have been tapering into the waist for a long time now. The pretty colours and flowery patterns obviously suit girls as well as men, and sizes in Carnaby Street tend to be skinnier too: a size 14 in shirts is about the same as a size 12 blouse.  Take Six who make the nearest thing to a blouse for a men-roll collared, buttoned down the back, in heavy satin—are selling over sixty a day in their Gt. Marlborough Street shop, a lot of them to girls for evening wear.  John Michael say that girls descend in flocks on their Westerner shops tracking down the genuine John Wayne look: the very fitted western shirts are pounced on, together with fringed leather waistcoats. Lots of super coloured shirts at all their branches too. And this is probably the key to the whole trend—there are shirts to suit every mood: pick the right one and you can look like a wild thirties gipsy, a dashing cowgirl, romantically Byronesque, in fact, very, very feminine. And now that shirts are so much more shaped you needn't swim in baggy folds around the waist: sleeves are still very long—they're cut to be long on a man, so that cuffs show under jackets—but most girls like the fragile ''little girl lost in a man's shirt'' effect this gives. And girls' blouses still can't match the crispness of men's shirts, and the shapeliness of collars which never go limp and curled up in the wash. So pick your look, and your shirt, from the five shown here, and discover that a shirt doesn't always ''look better on a man!''

Wildly romantic in a gipsy-sleeved silky shirt, dark blue with burnt orange and white. Mr Fish, 8gns. Sizes 14-16, several colours available, from Mr Fish, 17 Clifford Street, London W.1 (or by post 2s 6d. extra). Skirt in orange crêpe designed by The Fool, 4½ gns., for Apple Boutique, 94 Baker Street, London W.1. Sashed with a silk scarf, scattered with silver jewellery, all from Indiacraft.

An example of the Mr.Fish shirt above in one of the alternative colour options as mentioned. Although this item sold in 2014, there are several excellent detailed photographs of it still available to view courtesy of Vic and Bertie Vintage...well worth a look!

Stunningly efficient in a creamy shirt delicately flowered and high collared, from all branches of Take 6, 60s. 6d.. Clotted cream kipper tie Mr Fish, 2 gns. (other colours available), Mr. Fish, 17 Clifford Street, London W.1.. Camel skirt, Etam, 19s. 11d. (other colours available) from all branches of Etam. Patent belt buckled in Tortoise-shell, Otto Glanz, price about 36s. 9d., from  Selfridges, Oxford Street, London W.1. Tortoise-shell winter sunspecs, Oliver Goldsmith, approximately 6 gns., from most leading Opticians.

Wildly Western in a beige John Wayne shirt from The Westerner, 79 gns. 6d. (other colours available), The Westerner, Oxford Street, London, W.1. and Old Compton Street, London W.1. New twist to the jeans theme, black corded cotton with white stitching, Separates Centre, 3 gns.  Available from the Separates Centre, Oxford Street, London W.1 and Girl, Kings Road, London, S.W.3. Huge buckled military belt from Moss Bros., £4 10s., paisley silk scarf from a selection at Indiacraft.

Schoolmarmish (as no schoolmarm ever looked) in a brilliantly flowered shirt with high button-down collar, from all branches of Lord John, 60s. 11d., aubergine knitted mohair waistcoat by John Stephen, 79s. 8d., John Stephen, 52-55, Carnaby Street.

Pure glamour in a white satin roll-collared shirt, deeply cuffed and buttoned in pearl, from all branches of  Take 6, priced 4 gns.  Squared pewter brooch, studded with amethyst coloured stones, Adrien Mann, approximately 2 gns.




                                                              IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS
All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Intro Magazine, January, 1968, with special thanks to Kirstin Sibley for the gift! Photographer and model uncredited. More fashion for him & her from The Boyfriend book (1970). An excerpt from Sex and Unisex: Fashion Feminism, and the Sexual Revolution by Jo B. Paoletti on Pop Matters. Examples of Le Masculin Féminin fashion trend from Dépèche Mode (1971). Just Dandy: The Style and Legacy of Mr Fish. Terry Rawlings interviews Warren Gold of Lord John, Carnaby Street (Part One) & you'll find the rest of the Warren Gold/Lord John interview here in Part Two. More from The Westerner in Rags for Riders (1971). John Stephen of Carnaby Street womenswear. John Michael Ingram: The Menswear designer whose refined tailoring made his clothes and shops a favourite of 1960s mods. The Victoria and Albert Museum's Oliver Goldsmith Eyewear Collection. And finally, Clothes by Mr.Fish, Douglas Hayward, Blades and other tailors, who see nothing sissy about finery for men, and are influencing the ready-to-wear racks (1968).

From Mary Quant, a completely new look! (1970)

September 19, 2018, 5:17 pm

≫ Next: Harry Fenton Session Clobber (1966)

≪ Previous: Pinch the shirt off his back! Mr Fish, Take 6, Lord John, and The Westerner (1968)

$

0

0

              From Mary Quant, a completely new look!

Why should it just be Nature who changes her face for Autumn? Wine-dark Autumn colours to wear against a pale, powdered face. Jeepers Peepers eyeshadow in six rich colours; a new Shadow Stick in mahogany; four new moist lipsticks in colours like crushed grapes; and four toning nail polishes.

                  

                                                         IMAGE CREDIT & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from 19 Magazine, November 1970. Photographer and Model uncredited. View some of my previous Mary Quant Make-Up posts ➽ Co-ordinated Quant (1966); Mary Quant gives you the Bare Essentials (1966); Mary Quant Cosmetics (1967); The Five Faces of Twiggy (1968) in which, Twiggy's 'Ginger Rogers' look is achieved using Mary Quant Make-Up. Film footage of Mary Quant and her Make-Up range (1968). View Mary Quant - Una donna un paese (1972) almost 20 minutes of fantastic Quant and London street fashion filmed around the King's Road and Chelsea area, plus an extensive interview with Mary (over dubbed in Italian). Visit Mary Quant Cosmetics Ltd., and the forthcoming retrospective exhibition Mary Quant at the V&A, opening on Saturday, 6th April 2019, and also Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution (1952-1977) opening February 8th 2019 at the Fashion and Textile Museum, this exhibition presents the fashion, design and art of the Chelsea Set; a group of radical young architects, designers, photographers and artists who redefined the concept of youth and challenged the established order in 1950s London. At the forefront of this group of young revolutionaries were Mary Quant and Terence Conran. And finally, “Days decrease, and Autumn grows, Autumn in everything." (1971). 

---

Harry Fenton Session Clobber (1966)

September 23, 2018, 6:11 pm

≫ Next: Biba: Kensington Church Street (1966)

≪ Previous: From Mary Quant, a completely new look! (1970)

$

0

0

                                                   SESSION CLOBBER

The current required look for rehearsals—and for any occasion when you want to look great and feel easy is the Fenton ''Man in White'' look. Rugged white waister 39/6d—white Flair line hipster 39/6d—white Nylon polo sweater 39/6d. 

                                

                            
                                                IMAGE CREDIT & LINKS

Image scanned by Sweet Jane from the New Musical Express No.1010, May 20th, 1966. View another Harry Fenton of Shaftesbury Avenue print advert from 1966 in one of my previous posts Harry Fenton Flare Up! (1966). That Ealing moment: The Man in the White Suit (1951). The Rolling Stones Paint It Black, Brian Jones dresses in white (1966). "Tell 'em to wear f**kin' white and come when I call" Dig! (2004).  And finally, Whatever Happened to Harry Fenton? 

Biba: Kensington Church Street (1966)

September 28, 2018, 12:26 pm

≫ Next: Fun to live with: Designers Jon Wealleans and Jane Hill (1971)

≪ Previous: Harry Fenton Session Clobber (1966)

$

0

0

A two page feature on Biba, which was included in a fairly extensive report about the 'Long-haired English Scene' for Paris Match, published just a month after the shop had relocated from Abingdon Road to the new larger premises at 19-21 Kensington Church Street in March of 1966. This report also predates the more widely known Time Magazine 'London: The Swinging City' edition of the same year, which proclaimed London as the city of the decade and cited Biba as the 'most in Shop' for girls, by two weeks. 

                 BIBA KENSINGTON CHURCH STREET

          The mini-skirt conquers the street but not the old Londoners!

A strange shop, Kensington Church Street. Only a sort of porthole hints at what it hides—inside the 1900 decor, with garnet and gold wallpaper, green plants and old mahogany furniture, hundreds of ultra-short dresses hang from hangers!  Their price—less than 50 francs, and an uninterrupted stream of young people from all walks of life, from fourteen to twenty, fight over them. This is the latest fashion store. The name is "Biba". Tomorrow, in a nearby street, yet another new shop will open, and it too will attract many people: even if it seems to appear willingly old fashioned, because one of the main concerns of the new generation is "good" clothing. There are cases of young girls who buy ten dresses a week.

                           A mini-skirted customer enters Biba, 19-21 Kensington Church Street, (March 1966).

On the outside looking in, a passer-by peers through the mysterious window at Biba, Kensington Church Street, (March 1966). 

Two passers-by photographed through the shop window designed by Antony Little at Biba, Kensington Church Street (March, 1966).

Yet another curious passerby caught on camera through the Art Nouveau window designed by Antony Little for Biba, 19-21  Kensington Church Street (March, 1966).

                                             Biba sales assistant, Kensington Church Street, (March, 1966).                                                     

Stephen Fitz-Simon photographed with the sales assistants at Biba, 19-21 Kensington Church Street (March, 1966).                                   
                                              
                                
                                          IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Paris Match, Issue No. 886, April 2nd, 1966. Photographer unknown/uncredited in the original publication. Further reading about the aforementioned Time Magazine 'London: The Swinging City' issue published April 15th 1966 via 'The Youngest Legend in History': Cultures of  Consumption and the Mythologies of Swinging London by David Gilbert for The London Journal. View some of my previous posts about Biba at 19-21 Kensington Church Street, including this fantastic 'full colour' feature for LOOK Magazine published a year later Biba: London's Mini Mecca (1967); Biba: Mini, Minier, Miniest! (1967).  Another view through that Art Nouveau window in The Swinging Revolution (1966). Four minutes and forty-one seconds inside Biba Kensington Church St. More about the man behind the Art Nouveau window design: Biba Artist & Interior Designer Antony Little and also Antony Little: Beardsley, Biba, and Beyond. And finally, one for all those curious passers-by, Little Anthony & the Imperials - I'm On The Outside (Looking In).

Fun to live with: Designers Jon Wealleans and Jane Hill (1971)

October 7, 2018, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Laroche, Dior, Saint-Laurent, Courrèges, Phillipe Venet and Louis Feraud

≪ Previous: Biba: Kensington Church Street (1966)

$

0

0

                                   FUN TO LIVE WITH!

                                                        Jon Wealleans and Jane Hill.

Left: An unusual escalator roller blind, which has been silk-screen printed in red and black, on cotton. Right: Plump and luxuriously cosy, quilted cushions, with 'Thirties' motifs. Photographs by Tim Street-Porter.

A false teeth sofa, with a soft and life-like tongue for some idle lounging. Designed by Jon Wealleans and upholstered by Felicity Youett, it's sold by Mr Freedom for £160. Photograph by Tim Street-Porter.

Candy-floss coloured and metallic PVC, intriguing foam-filled and interlocking Jigsaw seats, can be pieced together or else used separately. Photograph by Tim Street-Porter.

Jon Wealleans photographed at home with his PVC Jigsaw seat design, each unit was available for £30 from Mr Freedom.

                                                        IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from 19 Magazine, March, 1971. Original article by Penny Junor. All photographs by Tim Street-Porter. Except for the final photograph of Jon Wealleans at home which was scanned from 70s Style & Design by Dominic Lutyens and Kirsty Hislop. Discover more about about Jon Wealleans and his work in my book review Mr Freedom Tommy Roberts: British Design Hero by Paul Gorman. View Jon Wealleans working drawings for Mr Freedom: The greatest boutique ever, ever, ever? over on The Look - a fascinating insight into the creation of Mr Freedom in Kensington. Spend 5 minutes with Jon Wealleans (Mr Freedom's interior architect) on Rebel Rebel Anti-Style.  View Jane Wealleans (nee Hill's) designs for OK Textiles Ltd in the 1970s.  'Why are you doing it? And if you stop doing it, would anybody care?' an interview with Jane for the Local Legends Research Project. Plus a Q&A with Jane, Founder and Director of Jane Wentworth Associates. And finally, some fantastic examples of  work designed & photographed by Howard Grey and made by Felicity Youett in 1967 and 1968.

Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Laroche, Dior, Saint-Laurent, Courrèges, Phillipe Venet and Louis Feraud

October 22, 2018, 11:31 am

≫ Next: The Facts of Pop Life - Rave Magazine (1966)

≪ Previous: Fun to live with: Designers Jon Wealleans and Jane Hill (1971)

$

0

0

              Les Collections de Printemps

                     Légendes du Dossier Haute Couture     

Left: Laroche, coat-dress plus matching trousers in pearl grey Woolmark 100% virgin wool crépe by Moreau. Right: Saint-Laurent midi coat in gaberdine, and Scotlaine pure worsted cotton high-waisted trousers with turn-ups.

                                              Phillipe Venet: Reversible beige and green Nattier wool midi coat.

Left: Saint-Laurent white Forneris cashmere trousers with turn-ups, and royal blue Abraham crépe de chine blouse. Right: Christian Dior midi coat in beige wool. Below, very high waisted, cropped, wide legged pants, with buckle closure at the side.

                          Courrèges: Crépe combination embellished with large orange and green plastic circles.

                              Louis Feraud 100% Buccol wool, white midi length coat with silver metal ring detail.

             Christian Dior reversible wool maxi coat, Racine jersey pants and Bianchini crépe georgette blouse.


                                           IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS 
All images scanned for the Sweet Jane blog from Dépèche Mode, March 1970, with thanks to The Sweet Book's Brad Jones. Artist uncredited. View part one of Les Collections de Printemps (1970) and more from the Paris collections for Spring 1970 in my previous posts Paris in the 70s illustrated by Leslie Chapman for Petticoat Magazine and The Ad-Lib Fashion Show at a Paris Bistro, photographed by Enrico Sarsini for LIFE. Discover the surprisingly rich and illustrious history behind trouser Turn-Ups via The Trouser Department I. Read The Story of Guy Laroche Couturier. And finally, you'll find some excellent examples of the Woolmark fabric manufacturers Moreau, Scotlaine and Forneris as featured in this post from the same period over on Vads (the online resource for the visual arts), and also the design archive from the Bianchini-Férier Textile estate via The Design Library. 

The Facts of Pop Life - Rave Magazine (1966)

November 26, 2018, 12:31 pm

≫ Next: Eylure - the gold-rush is on! (1967)

≪ Previous: Les Collections de Printemps (1970) Laroche, Dior, Saint-Laurent, Courrèges, Phillipe Venet and Louis Feraud

$

0

0

                                                    THE FACTS OF POP LIFE

RAVE takes a long, hard look at the pop world and the people who make it tick. What's it all about, this real yet so close to fantasy world, where overnight you can either become famous or forgotten? Here then are for you the facts of life, the facts of pop life...Every time you spin a brand new single, that little black circle of pleasure cost 7s 6d.  Just under half a crown a minute! Add up all those minutes and half-crowns and you have a giant record industry making around £25,000,000 a year. Each month the giant offers you stacks of discs―157 singles in April, 218 in May, 166 in June―and asks, ''Do you dig this?, Would you go for that?'' But only once in forty times do enough of you say ''Yes'' for the record to break even on the cost of making it. The question is: What happens to that money of yours? Who gets it? Who profits? Who are the men and the machines behind the stars? You are entitled to know, so RAVE has tried to find out...

                                   WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES...

       

             

                              

                         WHAT THE POP STAR EARNS...

             

        ★★★ THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE STARS ★★★

               

                                           IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS
All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Rave Magazine, August 1966. All illustrations by Barry Fantoni. Discover more about Barry Fantoni, Private Eye writer and cartoonist, author, designer of pop art backdrops for Ready, Steady, Go, sometimes actor, musician, and presenter of the BBC Television show A Whole Scene Going - Part one (of  two), midway through this particular show he speaks to three club owners―Ray McFall of the Cavern Club, Liverpool, Allan Williams of The Blue Angel, Liverpool, and Paddy McKearnon of Mister Smith's, Manchester, who give their opinions on the direction they think pop music will go in 1966. Read 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded by Jon Savage reviewed by Robert Christagu. Music Moguls: Masters of Pop: Money Makers, the 2016 BBC documentary narrated by Simon Napier-Bell, featuring contributions from Andrew Loog-Oldham amongst others. Watch Expresso Bongo, a 1959 film satire of the music industry, directed by Val Guest.  Read a piece by Ray Connolly on the Origins of the films That'll Be The Day and Stardust, and then watch That'll Be The Day (1973) and Stardust (1974). Yvonne buys her way into the charts―she can't sing but she's young! Smashing Time (1967). Lambert and Stamp the 2015 documentary about The Who's managers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Pop, power, populism and propaganda…How Peter Watkins’ futuristic satire Privilege (1967) predicted a time when mass media would be subverted to the needs of those in power. And finally, the three most important things a manager does, according to 'Supermensch' Shep Gordon is to “Get the money, always remember to get the money, and never forget to always remember to get the money!''

Eylure - the gold-rush is on! (1967)

December 2, 2018, 11:25 am

≫ Next: Score with Coleshoes! (1967)

≪ Previous: The Facts of Pop Life - Rave Magazine (1966)

$

0

0

                    EYLURE - THE GOLD-RUSH IS ON! 

                                   

              

         

  

                         

                                          IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS
All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Intro Magazine, November 1967. All illustrations by Gloria. Discover more about Eylure– the world’s favourite brand for false eyelashes since 1947. Read ''Who Made Those False Eyelashes?'' and go back to the nineteenth century to find out more about their origins. View some of my previous 1960s make-up posts: Seeing About Your Eyes (Rave Magazine 1965); Eye Look - from Max Factor (Rave Magazine 1968); Everything a girl needs to achieve that switched-on dolly look from Baby Doll Make-Up (Rave Magazine 1968); Mary Quant Make-Up (Honey Magazine 1967); Miners Hit Make-Up (Rave Magazine 1966); The New Look: Soft & Feminine (Rave Magazine 1967). And finally, The Five Faces of Twiggy (Queen Magazine 1968).

Score with Coleshoes! (1967)

December 13, 2018, 7:25 am

≫ Next: Baby Doll Colours from the Rainbow at Woolworth's - Rave Magazine (1968)

≪ Previous: Eylure - the gold-rush is on! (1967)

$

0

0

                       

                            SCORE WITH COLESHOES!

A great-looking pop art style print-advert from The Coles Boot Co Ltd. Having developed 'The Six-Five Special'―a shoe style designed to appeal to rock 'n' roll and skiffle fans, which was named after the popular BBC rock 'n' roll television show launched in 1957, the production factory in Burton Latimer became a mecca for various stars of the pop scene, including Adam Faith, Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, Tommy Steele, and The Monkees. Be sure to check out the links at the end of the post for more details about the company. 

                                         (1)  Chelsea boot. Italian classic design.

                              

                                                                                    (2) The Boot.

                           
                               (3) Fringe boot as worn by The Monkees.

                 

       

             


                                            IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Intro Magazine, December 9th, 1967. Illustrator and photographer uncredited. Discover more about the heritage of The Coles Boot Co Ltd, established in 1908 by Wallace Coles in partnership with Frank Westley & Joseph Whitney, and further information about Burton Latimer's Boot and Shoe Trade. Watch Made in Great Britain (Series 1) Shoes: How Northampton dominated the shoe industry for centuries, becoming the shoe capital of Britain and exporting fancy footwear all over the globe. View some of my previous posts about 1960s footwear: Whatever Happened to Stephen Topper and Topper Shoes Carnaby Street; Just Dennis: A boy's angle on boys' fashion - Rave Magazine (1966). Rave Magazine Adverts for Manfield The Fashion Shoe Shop (1966) and (1967). Color is for Everyone! Pardon me - You're standing on my yellow foot Eye Magazine (1968); Some 'Dandy Fashion' via a Cavalli Shoes advert - from Queen Magazine (1969); Sew Your Own Boot Camp - DIY style via Seventeen Magazine (1971). The History of the Chelsea Boot - the design and invention of which is attributed to J. Sparkes-Hall, boot maker to Queen Victoria. The Monkees on tour in England (1967). Adam Faith in Budgie - Out. Series 1 Episode 1 (April 9th 1971).  And finally, it's Time to jive on the old six five.

---

Baby Doll Colours from the Rainbow at Woolworth's - Rave Magazine (1968)

January 1, 2019, 3:47 pm

≫ Next: Mary Farrin Knitwear Designer - Jackie Magazine (1970)

≪ Previous: Score with Coleshoes! (1967)

$

0

0

                                                                 BABY DOLL

                      COLOURS FROM THE RAINBOW

Yes! LOOK OUT! Baby Doll's put a rocket behind the make-up scene again with super new 'Colours from the Rainbow'☛ Groovy Green Liner ☛ Violet Shadow ☛ fabulous Rainbow Blue Pearl Nail Varnish ☛ and brilliant Pearl Red 30's lipstick. Dare you? ☛ And lots more gorgeous in-tune colours at Cinderella prices. So have a ball!!!!

Baby Doll Make-Up 'Colours from the Rainbow' range at Woolworth's (1968).

          

Baby Doll  Make-up's New Rainbow Eyes Multi-coloured Eye-Shadow Pack (1968).

    

Baby Doll Pearl Polish, Nail Polish, Eye Shadow and Eye Liner (1968).

               

Baby Doll 'Colours from the Rainbow' at Woolworth's (1968).

                       

Baby Doll Lipstick 30s Reds (1968).

                                              IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Rave Magazine, August, 1968. Baby Doll Make-Up made by  E.R. Holloway Limited. Artist uncredited, as were all of the illustrators who created the various adverts for this range, however, this particular print-advert look remarkably like the work of the wonderful Caroline Smith. Discover more about the Baby Doll Range over at the Woolworth's Museum. And view some more examples of Baby Doll print adverts in my previous posts:  News From Baby Doll Cosmetics  Rave Magazine (1967); What's Your Lucky Number? Baby Doll Make-Up - Rave Magazine (1968);  Out-shine doll! Sun Shiny & Moon Shiny - Photoplay Magazine (1968); Baby Doll Make-Up - Jackie Magazine (1969). Plus some other examples of the 1930s influences on make-up and fashion in 1968 in The New Vamp (1968); The Lady is a Vamp...Again! - Queen Magazine (1968); all thanks to Bonnie - Fashion's New Darling (1968). And finally, wishing you all a very Happy New Year. 

Mary Farrin Knitwear Designer - Jackie Magazine (1970)

January 7, 2019, 12:42 pm

≫ Next: Just Dennis - A Boy's Slant on Boy's Fashion! Thirties Gangster Style - Rave Magazine (1966)

≪ Previous: Baby Doll Colours from the Rainbow at Woolworth's - Rave Magazine (1968)

$

0

0

                                                                                                                                  You'll go far in high flying Mary's Gear！

Any of you Jackie girls got a knitting machine? Well you could be in business. 'cause Mary Farrin, queen of the knitwear scene, is always looking for new girls to knit her fantastic gear. ''Any girl under 50, with at least six hours a week to spare can work for me, though most of them are in the Croydon and Sutton areas. ''All the girls are given a week's training. Even if they've never seen a knitting machine before, they can still learn very quickly. ''Then the girls take their machines home and work in their spare time.'' Now you might think knitting is all very well, but you'll never amount to very much doing it. Well, you're wrong! That's just how Mary started out. ''I used to be a demonstrator for a knitting machine firm. But I got bored going around all the little towns, so I started knitting dresses for myself, I wore one while I was demonstrating, and the buyers asked me where I got it. They asked me to make some for them, and it just went on from there. ''I worked at Fenwicks in Oxford Street for a couple of months to learn the business. They ordered the dresses and on Mondays I'd deliver them wearing a new design. ''At first I did everything on my own, then my younger brother, David, became a knitter in the evenings to get extra cash.'' Now David is in charge of the production side of the business and Mary spends her time designing.

Born in Surrey, Mary now lives in a Kensington flat with her husband John Thorne. She works mainly with angora, but everything she sells in her South Molton Street boutique is definitely knitted. ''In any other material, I always feel so restricted. I love wearing knitted clothes-they feel so free.'' At the moment, Mary reckons she has about 100 different designs on the market in 22 colours. ''I add to the collection all the time, with a few more colours every year. ''I have a basic dress, and I just add to it or take away from it. ''I travel quite a lot to get ideas. I've just got back from Malta, which was really great.'' In her spare time, Mary is quite an active person. ''I play tennis and squash, and I watch my husband play hockey. ''I'm also learning to fly! I'd like to get a Comanche aeroplane. But my husband said he'd never come flying with me!'' Proving that her mind is always on fashion, Mary even designed an outfit connected with flying. ''It's a knickerbocker trouser suit, with a black helmet and boots. I just thought it wold be nice to go flying in!'' 

At present Mary has three boutiques, and 40 shops stock her lines. She exports to quite a few countries, including America, Sweden, Germany and Japan. ''I've just started a children's range of knitted clothes. My ordinary range is designed for anyone from 16 to 60! A lot of boutiques just cater for people up to 24 and then end, but I think that's all wrong.'' And don't think Mary has forgotten about the blokes! ''Joe Brown is going to wear some of my gear. One of my angora tunic dresses could easily pass for a long polo-neck sweater, I think they'd look jolly nice. Men have been wearing cashmere for ages, so why not angora?'' Mary also came to fame when she visited Paris earlier this year. ''Christian Dior wanted to see my collection. He said he would give me an order for a couple of hundred―but my label would be replaced with the Dior brand. ''I insisted that my label stayed on the garments―but Dior thought it was an honour to have his label. ''I said no deal, so they ordered a couple of hundred-anyway, with my label still in place!'' This very talented girl still has three ambitions. I'd like to have my own plane, and a villa, and a boutique in Capri! When I started my ambition was to have an E Type Jaguar. I got that very quickly though―so now i'm wondering what's next.''

(*Note: Christian Dior died in 1957. When this article went to print in 1970, Marc Bohan was the head designer at Dior.) 

Hers, backless dress, half-pink, half-white, by Mary Farrin, in fluffy angora, with very high front. Pink silk stockings by Bear brand. Pink crepe shoes, with square paste and pink brilliante buckle, by Charles Jourdan. Hair-styles are by Leonard.  His, long high-necked Prussian-style Indian silk dressing gown in turquoise and mauve paisley design, from Turnbull and Asser. Bed-cover in silver PVC by Anderson Manson. Spotted plastic cushions at Presents of Sloane Street. Decanter at Clewes and Makin. Photograph by John Stember.

                                              Image Credits & Links

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from (1). an original article for Jackie Magazine, February 7th, 1970. Photographer uncredited. (2.) The Mary Farrin angora backless dress example was scanned from Queen Magazine, November, 1967 - Photograph by John Stember, and you can view the entire editorial in my original post Clothes to be in Love in (1967); more Hit Knits by Mary Farrin in Vogue, September (1967); A soft angora dress in beige, with bands of white and brown at the hem and on a cute top pocket, by Mary Farrin via A day in the Life of a Rave girl - Rave Magazine (1968). Further information about those Comanche aeroplanes as mentioned in the interview above, and also some examples of the knickerbocker trouser suits which were popular in 1970. You'll find a dream of a dress in a flare of ice cream colours by Mary Farrin, amongst this John Stephen of Carnaby Street post. Vintage Mary Farrin knitwear examples. And finally, Whatever Happened to Mary Farrin? She was incredibly successful, particularly throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and these are the decades in which you'll find the most related press and publicity articles. However, although I think the business was still active in the 1980s―the trail runs out around this time, and I believe that the company may have gone into liquidation circa 1990.

Just Dennis - A Boy's Slant on Boy's Fashion! Thirties Gangster Style - Rave Magazine (1966)

February 6, 2019, 4:40 pm

≫ Next: Blow-Up! Inflatable Furniture - The latest idea on the furniture scene (1968)

≪ Previous: Mary Farrin Knitwear Designer - Jackie Magazine (1970)

$

0

0

                                                              JUST DENNIS                                                                                                                              

I've always enjoyed reading through the 'Just Dennis' page in Rave magazine―a regular monthly style feature focusing on male fashion, which lasted approximately 18 months in total, from January 1966 to the summer of 1967, and was then superseded by a similar feature written by Johnny Rave. Although relatively short-lived, it's an interesting and useful insight into the constantly changing trends in British menswear design during one of its most prolific periods. And in spite of the fact that it was limited to only one page, sometimes two at most, it still managed to pack quite a lot of information into each issue. Just Dennis covered all of the angles―style, design detail, fabrics and colour range, he put a lot of focus on accessories, along with snippets of 'insider' fashion news and any current or upcoming trends which had also caught his attention. The feature was always accompanied by a photograph of him modelling the outfits, and occasionally, there was just enough space left for an illustration!  It may be concise, but it truly is a great visual record and an accurate account of the selection available on the rails from month to month across the various London boutiques, many of whom you may have heard of previously such as John Stephen, Take 6, Lord John, Irvine Sellars, and Austin Reed's Cue etc, but, it's also an invaluable record of others that are less well known, for instance Gentry Male, at 23 New Street in Covent Garden (currently a hat shop), or 'Exit West Two' at 8 Spring Street, London W2, launched sometime in late 1966, which is one I hadn't heard of. I also like the fact that so many of the items he chose were from London boutiques who offered a postal shopping service, which meant that the latest looks could also be achieved by those living outside the capital or abroad, further enhancing Rave's status as 'Britain's most influential young magazine'. 

RAVE―Britain's most influential young magazine! The magazine was published the last week of each month by George Newnes Limited. The subscription rate, including postage for one year to any part of the world, was  £1, 16s. 6d.  
          

                  A BOY'S SLANT ON BOY'S FASHION! 

This particular feature below is from the December 1966 issue, and as the year draws to a close we find young Dennis channeling a 1930s Chicago gangster look...perhaps even frequenting the newly launched Speakeasy Club which opened that very same month! And all of this predates the cinema release of the highly influential Arthur Penn directed Bonnie and Clyde, starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty―a biographical filmabout the exploits of the notorious Barrow Gang's two-year crime spree during the Depression era, which didn't open in the UK until September 1967, but was undoubtedly the catalyst that propelled the 1930s revival into the mainstream, resulting in a full-blast return to '30s styles inspired by the costumes designed by Theadora Van Runkle...and the effect was global! In one particular case, causing the demand for the production of traditional French berets to immediately increase from 5,000 to 12,000 per week shortly after it was released, even though 'the thirties trend' had obviously been gathering momentum for quite some time prior to this. In fact, Dennis had first mentioned it twelve months earlier in his initial piece for the magazine back in January '66, in which he modelled a French influenced, double-breasted 1930-ish style suit and overcoat, both from Adam, W.1., Kingly Street, London, W.1.


By January 1967, he reports that ''Ravers in London are now wearing genuine Demob suits!'' and that some three-piece ones were available for £10 each from Mel Wheeler of The 38, at 38 Church Street, London NW8.  Evidently, the abundance of Demobilisation suits issued to soldiers as they re-entered civilian life at the end of WW2 had finally filtered down to the second-hand clothing market, and apparently some ex-servicemen had complained first time round that the pin-striped suits made them look like old-time gangsters. Designer Ossie Clark was buying vintage 1930s dresses from Portobello Market and experimenting with the bias cut associated with the era as far back as '65, Granny Takes a Trip―the King's Road boutique still known for its pop-art 1930s movie star facade, which initially sold vintage clothing, opened just before Christmas in December that same year, as did I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet. So, maybe it was just down to influence of the second-hand and antique trade filtering through, it seems plausible that the availability of genuine vintage items contributed to the inspiration behind the origins of the trend. 


But i'd still like to know if there were any other factors involved, such as a popular play, book, news article, personality, or perhaps a film retrospective or related anniversary of some kind. The only cinema releases in a similar vein from the year that I can connect it to are Young Dillinger (Dir. Terry Morse - 1965 ), a gritty, low budget gangster film, depicting the early life of 1930s American gangsters, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson, The Cincinnati Kid (Dir. Norman Jewison - 1965), starring Steve McQueen as a young, 1930s depression-era poker player, or the two Jean Harlow biopics about the life of the 1930s Hollywood movie star (one directed by Alex Segal, the other by Gordon Douglas),...although how much of an impact (if any) that they had on British cinema-going audiences I can't say. Either way, it's really interesting to see the progression of the trend as it evolved, from the barrows (no pun intended) into the boutiques, because I've always considered it to be one of the great fashion revivals and have often wondered exactly how, when and where it originated. As for Dennis, I'm not sure what became of him, he was always referred to as Rave 'artist' Dennis (no surname). However, I have noticed that towards the end of 1967, shortly after the demise of the Just Dennis feature, a new section appeared on the Editor's page, which listed the Rave staff―and there, amongst the other names, is a Dennis Barker - Assistant Art Editor, so it's possible that they are one and the same.

                

                      

Dennis is wearing a freaky silk shirt from Michael's Man Boutique, Kings Road, Chelsea, London, S.W.3. His, is in turquoise, but he says that the gold ones look terrific too. Price 69s. 11d.  Available by post.

Kipper tie in kinky paisley is from Gentry Male boutique, 23 New Row, London, W.C.2. Price 17s. 6d. Available by post.

Smart suit called 'Capone' is from Take 6 boutique, Wardour Street, London, W.1. In a medium grey with a wide, white pin-stripe. There are loops for a two-inch wide belt on the trousers,which can be bought with or without turn-ups. Price 12 gns, also available by post.

Golf shoes (without the spikes of course) are by Dunlop. Available to order from Lillywhites, Piccadilly Circus, London, W.1., price £5 19s. 6d.

The genuine old gramophone is from Kleptomania, Kingly Street, London W.1., it's in perfect working order and cost £17. Smaller ones are cheaper,the record is a groovy party disc of the Charleston, a real hit at 2s. 6d. A 1930 original by the way!

The aforementioned Kleptomania Boutique, at 10 Kingly Street, photographed a year later in 1967. This was Tommy Roberts' first boutique, which he opened in the summer of 1966 with his wife Mary and partner Charlie Simpson. The shop initially tapped into the second-hand market, selling an eclectic mix of paraphernalia from bygone eras, such as the 1930s gramophone in the Just Dennis style feature above. The stock itinerary also included an assortment of Victorian oddments and curiosities, from What The Butler Saw Mutoscope machines to Penny Farthing bicycles. As well as 1920s candlestick telephones, old military uniforms, posters, police capes, and Chinese opium pipes, but as the business progressed, they began to introduce hippie beads, bells, and brand new stock from young and upcoming designers, meanwhile, the customising of second-hand garments and the introduction of a line of kitsch slogan printed t-shirts and accessories would gradually move the boutique towards the eventual manufacture of their own label.

                                         RAVE ARTIST DENNIS

       KEEPS YOU TUNED-IN ON THE RAVE BOYS FASHION SCENE!

◼︎ Now appearing in Austin Reed shops are art nouveau ties by Martin Battersby. The designs are more authentic than most―not surprising because Martin Battersby is a leading authority on art nouveau, and is reputed to have one of the largest collections in the country. The ties are in gorgeous colours and he has also done a range of wide-bottomed gangster ties for Austin Reed's Cue boutiques. Worth a look, and if you're ever in Brighton you can see all the scarves and ties he makes in his own shop in Brighton's Lanes.

◼︎ Look round the ex-army surplus stores for suede mosquito boots. They're very cheap and you'll need them this winter!

◼︎ Some of the most exciting belts I've seen recently are at a new boutique called Exit West Two at 8 Spring Street, London, W.2. They're in three-inch wide coloured elastic with unusual buckles. Price 23s. 6d. Plenty of decorative watch straps to match, too!

◼︎ Remember we told you about the crazy possibilities of braiding on jackets? Keith Richards has had one made up with braiding on the lapels and round the edge!

◼︎ New idea from Paul's Boutique, Carnaby Street, London, W.1. They're selling mini shift dresses for the girls, and shirts for the boys in matching floral patterns! Dresses 8 gns., shirts 5 gns.

◼︎ For the wild extrovert, Gentry Male boutique have a range of paisley raincoats at 15 gns.

◼︎ Crepon is still the thing in shirts, and you can now get stripy ones from Adam W.1., Kingly Street, London, W.1.

                                               JACKETS & TIES!

Two more items from the December feature caught my eye...firstly, the description of the Martin Battersby hand-painted art nouveau and kipper ties intrigued me. I've been an admirer of Martin's work for a long time, his book on Art Deco Fashion (French Designers 1908-1925) originally published by Academy Editions Ltd. in 1974, is one of my personal favourites. The ties were available from Austin Reed's Cue boutiques, and also from his own retail outlet―Sphinx Studios Boutique, located in Prince Albert Street, Brighton, from the early 1960s to 1971. And secondly, he mentions a bespoke braided jacket as worn by Keith Richards―I've gone through several Rolling Stones books and record sleeves looking for photographic evidence, and taking into account the timeframe, it should show up somewhere around the release of Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?, Let's Spend the Night Together or perhaps Ruby Tuesday, but I haven't found anything that quite fits the details yet. 

A page from Art Deco Fashion, French Designers 1908-1925 by Martin Battersby, published by Academy Editions (1974). One of the few, but excellent, representations of menswear contained within the book. View an original colour print of the Edouard Halouze illustration.

                             THIS WAY TO THE SPEAKEASY

              Past the undertaker's 'front'...then through the 'wardrobe'

Above: The NME's Norrie Drummond takes you to London's latest in-place! A full page feature on The Speakeasy, originally published in May 1967.  The club, located at 48 Margaret Street (just off Oxford St), had opened six months earlier in December 1966, and was hugely popular with the music business set―managers, agents, pop stars and journalists were all part of the regular clientele, well known patrons were far too many to mention, but included Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Keith Moon. The Speakeasy's 'Undertaker's Parlour' decor at the entrance to the club proper, took inspiration from the speakeasies which came into prominence in the United States during the Prohibition era (1920-1933), when the importation, production, transportation, and ultimately the sale of any alcoholic beverage was in operation. The ban had been introduced as an attempt to curb the effects of alcohol abuse in American society, but it wasn't long before illegal drinking establishments flourished, often fronted under the guise of some innocuous business or other, many of which were operated by those with connections to the criminal underworld. 

 

Above: Co-managers Roy Flynn and Mike Carey relax with guests, overlooked by the portrait of Al Capone specially painted for The Speakeasy by Barry Fantoni. (May, 1967). The club opened Seven nights a week.  Monday-Saturday it opened at 10pm, drinks were served until 3am, and the club closed around 4am. Membership cost four guineas per year, and admission was 10 s. most nights.

Detail from the front desk at the entrance to the The Speakeasy, 48 Margaret Street, London. You can view a short piece of colour film which clearly shows The Speak's decor, including the coffin desk, mirrored wardrobe door, the dance floor, the stage area, and Barry Fantoni's portrait of Al Capone via this British Pathe Newsreel footage from 1967.

Alan Fitch, the manager of I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, 293 Portobello Road, London, wearing an original pin-striped demob suit (1966).

''This here's Miss Bonnie Parker. I'm Clyde Barrow. We rob banks.'' Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in a scene from Bonnie and Clyde, Directed by Arthur Penn (1967). Costumes for the film designed by Theadora Van Runkle.

                                                             Todays Raves! Rave Magazine, December 1967.

An article by Nick Richards on 'The Thirties Trend' in London, for Intro Magazine, December 9th 1967―four months after the release of Bonnie and Clyde in UK cinemas. It's interesting to note that he says the trend had launched the previous Winter, so, it definitely began at the end of 1965 into 1966. But as for it 'dying a cold death'...perhaps not entirely, because according to Just Dennis in Rave's April 1967 free fashion supplement, it was still happening at that point in time, and he also predicted in the same issue that ''the Chicago of the 30s gear will stay around, though there won't be quite such a touch of the Al Capone''. So, merely a brief hiatus during the 'Summer of Love' before it came back stronger than ever in the Autumn/Winter of 1967. 

Iain Quarrier in gangster-style attire for his role in Separation (Dir. Jack Bond), produced in 1967, but released in 1968.  The double-breasted pin-striped suit, and all other clothing worn in the film were supplied by Take 6, the same boutique which supplied the 'Capone' suit, as worn by Just Dennis in the Rave magazine feature. It may also be of some interest to note that the wardrobe of Jane Arden―the female co-star and writer of the film, came from Granny Take's a Trip, Quorum, The Carrot on Wheels, and Deliss.   

                                                          Print advert,  Intro Magazine,  December 1967.

                         

The visual appeal of Bonnie and Clyde continues into the following year, five months after the release of the film, as seen in this full-page poster from the back cover of Intro Magazine, January 1968. 

                 A 1930s Bonnie and Clyde influenced illustration, Petticoat Magazine, 1968. Artist uncredited.

A look inspired by the film Bonnie and Clyde. Photograph by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1968. Models Gundrun Bjarnadottir and Patrick Deroulede.  

Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot channelling the spirit of the ill-fated lovers Bonnie and Clyde in a duet written by Gainsbourg, originally released on Fontana Records in 1968. The lyrics of which, borrowed heavily from 'The Trails's End', a poem by the outlaw Bonnie Parker, penned just weeks before she and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed in a stolen Ford Deluxe on an isolated highway near Bienville Parish, Louisiana, by law enforcement officers on May 23rd, 1934. 

                 Yet another look inspired by the film Bonnie and Clyde, Photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg 1968.

The back cover of Johnny Hallyday's L'Histoire De Bonnie And Clyde (1968), but this particular pressing of the EP was released in France in 1969. Photo by Tony Frank.

                        BONNIE AND CLYDE GO POP!

A greeting card designed by Jan Pieńkowski, founder of Gallery Five (1968), based on Warren Beatty's portrayal of Clyde Barrow.

Gangsters by Valstar, a Print advert from Honey Magazine, 1967, (artist uncredited). View another example of an advertisement for the Gangsters range by Valstar in one of my previous posts, also from 1967.

Detail from a 1930s inspired make-up advertisement campaign by Woolworths, 1968. You can view the entire Woolworths Baby Doll Make-up advert here.

The trend for Bonnie and Clyde attire is captured perfectly in this illustration by Malcolm English for Carnaby Street, by Tom Salter (1970).

                                                  IMAGE CREDITS 
All images scanned by Sweet Jane from the following publications (1.) Rave Magazine mastheads from my personal collection. (2.) Just Dennis, Rave Magazine December 1966. (3.) Kleptomania Boutique, 10 Kingly Street (1967) from Tommy Roberts: Mr Freedom, British Design Hero by Paul Gorman. (4.) Edouard Halouze illustration from Art Deco Fashion - French Designers 1908-1925, by Martin Battersby, Published by Academy Editions (1974). (5. & 6.) The New Musical Express, May 1967. (7.) Detail from the cash desk screenshot from linked Pathe footage. (8.) I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, 293 Portobello Road, London (1966) from Swinging Sixties-Fashion in London and beyond 1955-1970, V&A Publications, Photograph © Onno Bernsen/Caroline Gilles. (9.) Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway from The King of Carnaby Street The Life of John Stephen by Jeremy Reed. (10.) Gangster Hat Print advert, Intro Magazine, December (1967). (11.) Iain Quarrier in gangster-style attire from Separation (1968) (12.) Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Rave Magazine December 1967. (13.) Felt Gangster Hat advert Intro Magazine December 1967. (14.) Warren Beatty Intro Magazine January 1968. (15.) 1930s Bonnie and Clyde illustration, Petticoat magazine 1968 from Lifestyle Illustration of the Sixties published by Fiell. (16.& 17.) Bonnie and Clyde Photographs by F.C. Gundlach Fashion Photography 1950-1975, Published by Taschen. (18.) Johnny Hallyday's L'Histoire De Bonnie And Clyde original 45 rpm from personal collection. (19.) Gallery Five Card 1968 from Pop! Design, Culture, Fashion 1956-1975. (20.) Gangsters by Valstar 1967 from Lifestyle Illustration of the Sixties published by Fiell. (21.) Woolworths Baby Doll Make-up detail from Rave magazine 1968. (22.) Bonnie and Clyde illustration from Carnaby Street by Tom Salter, Published by Margaret and Jack Hobbs (1970).


                                                             LINKS
View other examples of Just Dennis for Rave Magazine in some of my previous posts as follows: Whatever Happened to Stephen Topper & Topper Shoes Carnaby Street? and Just Dennis: A boy's angle on boys' fashion - Rave Magazine (1966). Edward Mann's Gangster and Moll Collection for Spring (1966). Bonnie - Fashion's New Darling (1968). The Bonnie and Clyde Style―the talk of 1968! More from Kleptomania 22 Carnaby Street via Rave Magazine (1968). A must read! ➽ Bonnie and Clyde Looking go0d while robbing banks!―The costume designs of Theadora Van Runkle. The artist Martin Battersby & The History of 36 Sussex Square! Discover more about The Speakeasy, where The Who could drink easy, pull easy and pay a visitto the The Speak's Facebook Group page. Let's not forget the influence of the French New Wave―Le Goût du crime: Notes on Gangster Style in New-Wave Paris: Part I and Part II, see also French Gangster Style: Tough Guys & Existential Assassins, and Borsalino (1970). The Real Scarface: Al Capone (Full Documentary). And finally, the fascination with prohibition-era gangster style shows up again ten years later in the charming Bugsy Malone (1976), a world of gangsters, showgirls, and dreamers! 

Blow-Up! Inflatable Furniture - The latest idea on the furniture scene (1968)

February 10, 2019, 11:46 am

≫ Next: The New Denson Fashion Shoes for Men! Rave Magazine (1964)

≪ Previous: Just Dennis - A Boy's Slant on Boy's Fashion! Thirties Gangster Style - Rave Magazine (1966)

$

0

0

                                            BLOW-UP

Inflation is here―and to stay! Great new furniture packs into a carrier bag for moving; light enough to tuck under your arm and take to a party if you can't stand the pace. Just use a pump and a boyfriend's right arm to reassemble.

FROM PARIS by Quasar Khanh, orange armchair £28 12s. 6d. See-through chair £19 10s. Poufffe-cum-floor lamp £9 12s. Countdown, Kings Road, Chelsea. By post Ultra-lite Ltd., 49 Conduit Street, London W.1.

FROM LONDON by Incadinc, comfy blue Air Chair, price 6 19s. 6d. Distributed by Goods and Chattels.

FROM HUNGARY, the Suzy chair makes a cosy fireside seat, doubles for beach-squatting too. Price about £2 19s. 6d. from large stores or by post from George W. Burger Ltd., 63 St Gabriel's Road. London N.W.2  

FROM AMERICA, crazy inflatable cushions; small ones £1 5s., large £3 3s. At Countdown, Kings Road Chelsea.

                                 Inflatable Furniture - The latest idea on the furniture scene (1968).


                                               IMAGE CREDIT & LINKS
Image scanned by Sweet Jane from Intro Magazine, January 1968. Discover more about Quasar Khanh pioneer of inflatable Furniture, and view his 1968 'Aerospace' Collection via the Velvet Galerie. See also, Quasar Khanh: The exhumed treasures of a design genius, and read about the time when Khanh’s inflatable armchairs and loungers floated in the Piscina, alongside a pneumatic plastic house, supporting Missoni-clad models in Milan (1967).  View some other examples of  interiors from this period in some of my previous posts: The Biba Bed-Sitting Room (1970). Fun to live―with Designers Jon Wealleans and Jane Hill (1971); Pop Art Interior (1969); as well as furniture by one of the masters of Modernism, Queen magazine (1969). And finally, the ground floor interior of the Mr Freedom shop at 20 Kensington Church Street (1971).

The New Denson Fashion Shoes for Men! Rave Magazine (1964)

February 23, 2019, 1:55 pm

≫ Next: Once Upon a Time in the West: The Girls' Round-Up (1966)

≪ Previous: Blow-Up! Inflatable Furniture - The latest idea on the furniture scene (1968)

$

0

0

DENSON SHOES

Some examples from the 1964 Denson Shoes range. The London-based company which is set to relaunch soon, was originally established in 1951 by D. Senker & Son Ltd at Kingsland Road E.2., later opening a second factory in Northamptonshire. Debuting with Brothel Creepers worn by Teddy Boys, the brand became much favoured by various other style subcultures over the next four decades, and was usually to be found advertised amongst the pages of popular teen magazines such as Rave, as well as the weekly music papers like the New Musical Express. The brand continued to be hugely popular until the 1980s, before eventually going out of business in 1987.

Fine Poynts and Fine Chisels set the fashion shoe scene

Here are the shoes with the top-fashion toe-shapes, in the latest lace-up and elastic-sided styles, as well as with concealed elastic sides. Some have Cuban heels, some have big, bold buckles, some combine the two. If you like zip-up sides, there's a Fine Poynt shoe that you're bound to go for. In Black leather or Brown shaded leather, and the latest shades in suede. 49/11 to 63/-. You can also choose from Fine Poynt, Fine Chisel or classic toe shapes in the Beat Boot range. From 69/11. See the latest styles on the Denson Style Selector at your nearest Denson Fashion Shoe Centre. 

Denson Classics and Easy Cleans set the fashion shoe scene

For the man with an eye for style, the new Classics are setting a new look in fashion. With a rounded toe-shape, lace-up styling, or concealed elastic sides. In Black leather, Brown leather, and the latest shades in suedes. And for the man who wants a shoe that looks equally smart for business or leisure, the new Easy-Cleans in handsome brushed pigskin-suede. With lace-up or elastic-sided styling, in Brown, and Loden Green. New Classics cost from 49/11 to 63/-. Easy Cleans costs from 59/11 to 79/11. For the name of your stockist, write to: D. Senker & Son Ltd., Dept. R.1. Kingsland Road, London E.2. 

Detail from Denson Shoes advert, October 1964.

A two-page advert for the new Denson Shoes range for men, October 1964. 

IMAGE CREDITS & LINKS

All images scanned by Sweet Jane from Rave Magazine, Issue No.9, October 1964. Discover more about the soon to be relaunched Denson Shoes Company originally Established in London in 1951―a pioneer in the 20th century's fashion revolution. Read These Denson Shoes were made to be stolen|Joe Jackson & Brian Griffen (1979) via the excellent The Historialist of Shoes and Shoemakers, and also The Story of the Chelsea Boot via The Look. Watch shoemaker and designer Stan Bartholomeu creating a pair of Winklepickers in 1960 based on a 15th Century design. View some of my previous posts about Men's shoes and style from this period in Whatever Happened to Stephen Topper and Topper Shoes Carnaby Street; Score with Coleshoes! (1967); Dandy Fashion: The Biba Men's Range 1969-1975; plus lots of  mid 1960s shoe styles and brands featured in Just Dennis a boy's angle on boys' fashion Rave Magazine (1966); and a reminiscence of spats gone very new in The Immanence of the Past Cavalli Shoes Queen Magazine (1969). And finally, the inspiration behind The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys.