Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s
21-07-2013
Celebrating the creative explosion that this scene had begun is a major exhibition currently on at the V&A. Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980’s displays over 85 outfits by some of the most experimental young designers of the era, such as John Galliano, Katharine Hamnett and Wendy Dagworthy. The show also embraces iconic styles that emerged from the decade such as New Romantic and High Camp, and features outfits worn by Adam Ant and Leigh Bowery.
Club to Catwalk explores how the creative relationship between catwalk and club wear helped reinvent fashion, as reflected in magazines such as i-D and Blitz and venues including Heaven and Taboo.
As the decade progressed, venues such as the Camden Palace and one-off warehouse parties began to attract much larger audiences. Although less intimate, they perpetuated the creative link between music, club and catwalk. This symbiotic relationship remained the defining characteristic of 1980s style.
John Galliano recalled, ‘Thursday and Friday at St Martin’s, the college was almost deserted. Everybody was at home working on their costumes for the weekend’. Designer Georgina Godley remembers, ‘Young London was all about taking risks and creating something out of nothing through passion and ambition’.
Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s is on at the V&A now until 16th February 2014
