Lord John, Mates Boutique and post-1966 Carnaby Street

In the mid-1960's , after John Stephen's success, Carnaby Street became a gold mine for fashion retailers. For a few years in the late 1960's, the combination of Carnaby Street address and colourful clothes became almost a guarantee of instant, but short term success. Stephen's clothes were and remained well-made. His imitators realized this to be unnecessary - George Melly wrote - It didn't matter how quickly everything fell to bits. The clothes weren't meant to last, but to dazzle. Their shops, blaring pop music and vying with each other for a campest window and decor, spread the length of Carnaby Street and its environs (George Melly, Revolt Into Style, p 151). Among those competitors,only two men managed to come to a financial success comparable to John Stephen's. These men were Warren Gold, who ran Lord John, and Irvine Sellars who ran Mates boutique.

Shoppers at Lord John, 1966.

Lord John was started by brothers Warren and David Gold who opened two boutiques on Carnaby Street in 1964 after a successful period of selling suede jackets from their stall on Petticoat Lane. Aping John Stephen, Lord John specialized in Mod look. Warren Gold made sure that his designs were always up to date, and followed the trends, which, as far as male Mod look was concerned , were changing on almost weekly basis in the mid-1960's. This strategy proved an instant success, and soon Gold brothers were seen around London            

driving Rolls-Royces. Warren Gold liked his gangster-like image. Nik Cohn wrote about him: When I interviewed him, Gold wore a see-through bodyshirt over a golden-tanned spare tyre and was not communicative: 'Let's make this fast , young man - I've got a very busy day' (Nik Cohn, Today There Are No Gentlemen, p 115).    

Warren Gold, 1969

In 1967 Gold brothers commissioned decorators Binder, Edwards & Vaughan to paint the exterior of Lord John's branch on the corner of Carnaby Street and Ganton Street with a psychedelic mural, making it probably the most eye-catching building on the street. This, combined with the skillful advertising campaign in the press, only added to the success of Lord John. By 1970, Gold brothers owned eight boutiques, and expanded it to thirty during early seventies.

Psychedelic mural by Binder, Edwards & Vaughan

Newspaper ad for Lord John from around 1966.

Jackets from Lord John from early 1970's (found on E-bay).

Coat from Lord John from 1968 displayed in Victoria and Albert Museum.

Cat Stevens outside Lord John, 1966

The Yardbirds at Lord John, 1966

Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees being fitted by Warren Gold himself, 1967

Fashion spread in Fab 208 magazine featuring Lord John coat, 1967

Lord John shopfront circa 1969

Outside Lord John, 1969 (courtesy of John Hellier)

Irvine Sellars was a founder of Mates - one of the first chains of unisexual boutiques in London. 

Mates, 1967

Just like Warren Gold, he started his career in fashion from a stall in East End. Observing the beginnings of Carnaby Street, he had noticed that more and more often boys accompanied girls on the shopping trips (and vice versa). He decided to start a boutique that would sell clothes for both sexes. His designs , just like those of Warren Gold's, were initially aimed at Mod youth - and just like Warren Gold , he did not quite achieve John Stephen's originality. Nevertheless, he was making money, and by 1969 (at the age of 32), he owned a chain of 24 boutiques. Nik Cohn wrote about Sellars: He had his own factory in Neasden, and a house in Brighton, and a very large flat overlooking Marble Arch, impersonal and full of antiques which he paid a friend to choose for him. 'This is one of the biggest flats in London, and I can prove that', he said. 'It has ten rooms, three bathrooms and the furnishings are worth a fortune.'

Irvine Sellars, 1970.

He was not villainous. It would be pleasant to depict the Carnaby Street operators as bloodsuckers, ruthless exploiters, milking innocent kids of their very last dime; but Sellars wasn't like that. 'I'm in business', he said, 'and when you're in business, your personal tastes come second to your profits, or they should do. People try to get at me but I'm not a monster, I'm a human being, like everyone else (Cohn, p 115).

Mates on Carnaby Street , circa 1967

Warren Gold and Irvine Sellars were typical entrepreneurs that had overtaken Carnaby Street after 1966 - businessmen first, designers second. They do not have the same significance for fashion history as John Stephen (who, as elsewhere in this blog was said, is himself very underrated), but, just like him ,they became rich. And when the sixties ended ,their boutiques were on the 'way out' - just like John Stephen's. Both Gold and and Sellars ended up selling their businesses, once they stopped being profitable. Warren Gold remained in the clothing business - he came back to Petticoat Lane, where in the Big Red Building he opened Goldrange - a clothing factory outlet store, which he owns to this day.

Sellars (These days known as Sellar - he seems to have dropped 's' from his surname) went into property business, which made him one of the richest people in Britain. Today, he is one of the main investors behind The Shard - the new tallest skyscraper in London.

  

    

The New Psychedelics - a Revival That Never Was? - Pt.2

Few months ago, I did a post about 1980's Psychedelic revival. All I had was few photos, and a brief mention of a Newburgh Street boutique called the Regal. I was really interested in the subject, so I ended my post with a question whether anybody knew anything more about that revival. Needless to say, I was very excited when last night I found this film on YouTube uploaded by Velvet Cave. It is an hour-long documentary titled 'Groovy Movie' about 1980's Psychedelic revival in London. The film answers all the questions one might have about that scene.

You can see footage from their club nights, videos for revival bands such as Mood Six or Marble Staircase, interviews with people who were there, and most importantly, you can watch an interview with the owners of The Regal and look at their amazing clothes. So click on the link and enjoy the obscure second coming of 1960's Psychedelia.

 

Stills from The Groovy Movie

Edited to note: Read my interview with Anne-Marie Newland, who in 1980's owned Sweet Charity boutique and was a drummer in psych revival band The High Tide.

Blades and Savile Row's reaction to 1960's Peacock Revolution

Rupert Lycett-Green

Tailoring establishment known as Blades was started in 1962 by three partners: Rupert Lycett-Green - a 22 year old ex-Etonian with aristocratic connections, Eric Joy - a cutter from Clerkenwell, and an accountant Charlie Hornby. They specialized in bespoke suits, but they were also selling ready-to-wear ones in their shop on Dover Street. Although as far as prices were concerned , they were at the same level as Savile Row (around £60 for a suit), their clothes were far more modern and innovative. The early success of Blades was a result of combining the novelty of clothes from Carnaby Street with the quality and fine tailoring than has been a trademark of Savile Row. The man responsible for this success was cutter Eric Joy. As Nik Cohn wrote: Before this, if you'd wanted to dress adventurously, you travelled to Carnaby Street and suffered agonies of bad fit and tightness. Now Joy would make you look just as wild and you'd be comfortable as well (Nik Cohn, Today There Are No Gentlemen, p 98). But it was the designer and owner, Rupert Lycett-Green who gave Blades the most publicity.

Rupert Lycett-Green, 1965.

Lycett-Green might have not been the first aristocrat who invested in tailoring, but he certainly was the first who was doing it so openly. His good looks and impeccable style also played important role in his success. Nik Cohn on Lycett-Green: Very tall and very skinny, he was married to John Betjeman's daughter and was charming, quick with a quote and well equipped with enemies. All in all, he was a columnist's dream (Cohn, p 98).

Despite all this Blades made made hardly any money during first few years of existence.In 1965 the shop was faced with an uncertain future when Charlie Hornby left, and was quickly followed by Eric Joy (who went to work for Mr. Fish before opening his own shop in Cork Street).Rupert Lycett-Green was faced with a dilemma.As he remembers: In 1965, I asked myself , am I going to start doing this properly or should I get out? - and I decided to carry on. So I moved to Savile Row and became a professional (Cohn, p 99). His new shop was situated at 8 Burlington Gardens, in Georgian townhouse that overlooked one end of Savile Row. The atmosphere in this discreet new location resembled more gentlemen's club rather than tailoring shop. This brave move was a form of a challenge. 'Hip' new tailors took on conservative 'old guard' of Savile Row. 

Lycett-Green in typical Blades suit during shop's early period.

In Burlington Gardens, Lycett-Green started putting more emphasis on himself as a progressive designer rather than on Blades as tailoring venture. Apart from suits, Blades was now also selling coats, shirts and various accessories. Keeping up with rapidly changing fashions , by 1967 Blades started offering 'bespoke hippie gear'. Nik Cohn described it as a period of utter disaster. He wrote: Not wishing to be left behind, Lycett-Green began feverishly to turn out fancy dress - kaftans  and fringes and Nehru suits, the full psychedelic production.  

Rupert Lycett-Green in a Blades suit that must have given old tailors of Savile Row heart attacks. The lady in the photo is Lycett-Green's wife, Candida. (1967)

Financially it worked. The press still loved him and his turnover rose to £200.000 a year. But clownishness was not truly his style, and he found himself continually outgimmicked and out-outraged by Mr. Fish, just around the corner. In the end, he gave up and reverted to what he did best, well-cut and unfussed suits, knocked down for £100 a time (Cohn, p 100). 

Although Lycett-Green returned to simplicity, he stayed innovative and in touch with latest male fashions. The combination of velvet suits with Liberty print shirts was one of his specialties.

Velvet suits from Blades, 1969.

On the left: Typical late-1960's suit from Blades - double breasted and with wide lapels.

Blades held first ever ready-to-wear men's fashion show in Savile Row in 1967. It was a great publicity stunt and it received a lot of press attention. It also caused the outrage of future Prime Minister Edward Heath who lived in Albany apartments adjoining Burlington Gardens and made a formal complaint about the noise.

By the late 1960's, Blades was more successful than any tailoring establishment fin Savile Row. There is nothing in all London as elegant and as wearable as the simple Blades suit -announced The Times in March 1969. In the same year Blades opened a branch in New York on Madison Avenue, right opposite the New York branch of uber-hip London boutique Annacat. Unlike Annacat though, which closed after few months, Blades remained opened for four years. 

As for Blades' attempt to challenge the old Savile Row, it was more than successful. Nik Cohn wrote: Savile Row, at first was unimpressed by Rupert Lycett-Green (...) For five years, the established firms sat back smug and waited for the upstarts to collapse, and for Carnaby Street to come to nothing, and for everything to return to pre-war sanity. By the time they saw it wasn't going to happen like that, most of their younger customers had left them (...) By 1970, if it hadn't been for the American tourist trade, Savile Row would have been a wreck (Cohn, p 101).    

About Lycett-Green, Nik Cohn wrote: His reputation varies. One view puts him very high indeed, possibly the best designer in England; another dismisses him altogether, giving all the credit to Joy and to the ideas of customers like Christopher Gibbs and Michael Rainey. For myself, I'd put him about halfway: a good shopkeeper and clever self-publicist, but with undue pretensions. What is certain, however is that Blades itself had mattered. (Cohn, p 100).

Lycett-Green remained in business much longer that any other innovative 1960's menswear designer. He sold Blades in 1980. Of his reasons he said: I sometimes think I was put out of business by people like Giorgio Armani. Not literally, of course. But while our clothes were well made and expensive, I just couldn't see how to diversify so as to compete effectively (...) I thought, if Armani is going to be the man of the future, where am I? The writing was on the wall. I thought, this is the moment to get out. Otherwise I am going to have a bespoke, slim suit, tailoring business and I will be sitting here for 20 years waiting for the business to come back. I was 41 and still young enough to do something else (Geoffrey Aquilina Ross, The Day Of The Peacock, p 102).

Today, Rupert Lycett-Green is a chairman of oil exploration and production company. He has his place in fashion history however, as the innovative 1960's menswear designer, and a man who, along with Michael Fish and Doug Hayward brought colour, originality and freshness into the British bespoke tailoring.

Blades suit from 1968 displayed in Victoria and Albert Museum.

   

  

Dedicated Followers of Dandie Fashions

I have accidentally found this photo of very sharp-looking gent from 1960's. It turned out to be Nicholas Hoogstraten - an infamous property magnate, a man who to this day is said to own half of Brighton (at least). In 1960's he was the youngest self-made millionaire in Britain. This photo was taken in Hove in 1968. He is wearing the same suit as Bill Wyman wore for Stones photoshoot in Green Park in January 1967.

It is very likely that this amazing suit was from Dandie Fashions. It looks very similar to the Dandie Fashions suit modeled by Alan Holston on the photograph below.In fact, it is exactly the same cut, although the fabric is different.

It is always great to find some   new photos of clothes from that fantastic King's Road boutique.

1968

Patrick Lichfield - 1960's Peacock Style Icon

Patrick Lichfield in 1969

Fashion photographer Patrick Lichfield was one of the most flamboyant dressers in 1960's Swinging London. His full name was Thomas Patrick John Anson, the 5th Earl of Lichfield. He was Queen's first-cousin-once-removed.  Born in 1939 , he inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960. Educated in Harrow and Sandhurst, after brief spell in Grenadier Guards, he decided to pursue his passion for photography in 1962. He chose the name 'Patrick Lichfield' - a combination of his christian name and his title - as his artistic pseudonym. He started his career as a photographer for Queen magazine shooting debutantes. Because of  his aristocratic background, he struggled for a long time to be taken seriously as a photographer, especially at the time when a lot of other leading fashion photographers - such as David Bailey, Terence Donovan or Brian Duffy - were from working class backgrounds. His first breakthrough came in 1965, when he was commissioned by Vogue magazine to take photos of Duke and Duchess of York - a reclusive couple who lived on exile in France. Lichfield's photos presented them as a relaxed, happy-looking couple. Diana Vreeland, an editor-in-chief of Vogue, was so happy with the results that she offered Lichfield a ten year contract.

Lichfield quickly became part of Swinging London's 'In-Crowd'. He was known for his distinctive, very flamboyant style. He was a close friend and a big fan of Michael Fish - during late 1960's he wore  clothes from Mr. Fish's boutique on almost daily basis. He also supported other young designers."Everybody who was anybody had an interest of some sort in a boutique - he wrote in his autobiography - "Mine was in Annacat in South Kensington, started by two of my old girlfriends, Maggie Keswick and Janet Lyle" (Patrick Lichfield, Not The Whole Truth, p 116). Lichfield's financial backing for Annacat - small boutique which opened in 1965 on 23 Pelham Street, certainly added to the prestige of the place. It was one of the few small boutiques which was featured regularly in Vogue. Janet Lyle's designs were characteristic for the use of vibrant, coulorful fabrics combined with lace trimming. Annacat doubled its first year's takings during its second (Richard Lester, Photographing Fashion: British Style in The Sixties, p 152) and in 1967 it moved to the new location on Brompton Road, and in 1968, it opened a branch in New York. Apart from the financial backing, Lichfield also had lent his name to the short - lived line of male clothing in Annacat.

Patrick Lichfield (right) with two designers whose work he supported - Janet Lyle of Annacat (left) and Michael Fish (centre) circa 1968.

But Annacat was not the only 'hip' investment of Patrick Lichfield. He also financed two successful West-End shows - "Hair" and "Oh, Calcutta!". The star of 'Hair', singer Marsha Hunt posed nude for Lichfield, providing him with probably the most memorable photograph he took in the 1960's.

His other  photographic work includes the wedding of Mick and Bianca Jagger in 1971, various portraits of Royal Family, and most famously, the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana in 1981.  

Patrick Lichfield modeling Mr. Fish's designs in 1971.

Patrick Lichfield died of stroke in November 2005. He contributed to the colorful world of 1960's fashion not only as a photographer but also as one of the most notorious wearers of the Peacock Style.

Swinging London's rich and famous portrayed by Patrick Lichfield.

Back row (from left to right): Susannah York, Peter S. Cook, Tom Courtenay, Twiggy.

Centre row (left to right): Joe Orton, Michael Fish

Front Row (left to right): Miranda Chiu, Lucy Fleming.

18.07.1967.

Jane Birkin by Patrick Lichfield, 19.09.1969

Cecil Beaton by Patrick Lichfield, October 1968

David Bailey by Patrick Lichfield , April 1969

Patrick Lichfield, 1965

Patrick Lichfield with Allegra Carracciolo in the Bahamas, 1968. 

Above and below: Lichfield with fellow photographer (and close friend) David Bailey and his girlfriend Penelope Tree circa 1968.