Wayne... Stephen
Hannah.... Stephen
Bridie and Angel Rose... Recently I DJed at the Vintage At Goodwood Festival, they asked me to write a piece for them...
What is the art of ‘dressing’? The children of Ziggy Stardust took personal image to fantastical extremes. The scene is set… It’s the late 70’s; post punk, electronica and disco music fill the elitist club underworld. From ‘Club For Heroes’ to ‘The Blitz’, the so called ‘New Romantics’ explored and experimented with clothes, makeup and music putting together unusual combinations and breaking all the rules. Referencing classic and tailored looks, mixing historical pieces and tackling twisted versions of pirate, film noir movie stars with dandy’s of yore the ‘Cult With No Name’ created it’s own street which in turn became the catwalk of the future... there was nothing part-time about being a Blitz Kid.
The era was ripe for a melting pot of inventive style to erupt; beautification and imagination were part of creating your own personal identity with attention to detail and inventive twists on traditional style. Boy George sometimes wore a ‘Geisha’ look complete with kabuki inspired make-up and a confrontational stance, while friend Marilyn took on a demi-drag translation of glamour inspired by his namesake. The overall impression was escapist and surreal. In The Blitz club itself zoot suited soul boys hustled next to girls with crimped and bouffanted hair. Toy soldiers sidled up to peirot dollequse dressers and asexual fops dressed in lace collars and cuffs. Rock-a-Billy boy quiffs and exaggerated asymmetrical wedge fringes hung over made up faces posing and poised for a the click of a camera but at the same time engrossed in mutual admiration for the creativity the scene encouraged. There were no boundaries except to delve into the dressing up box as much as possible… this was not ‘fancy dress’, more ‘dress fancy’. A reinvention of attitude far flung from convention of the time, intended to be controversial and thought provoking compared to the norm.
By the dawn of the 80’s the somewhat D.I.Y. flair of the Blitz Kids had filtered unsurprisingly into mainstream fashion. i-D magazine with it’s ‘straight up’ street style portraits had become the scene-stealers bible. The New Romantic era had created a platform of inspirational thinking signaling new dress codes that leant heavily on a combination of classic and daring futuristic looks the initial scene had pioneered. Further down the line traces of romanticism could be seen in the mainstream wardrobes of fashion followers while the stars of the Blitz went on to become designers and popstars in their own right.
The legacy of innovative thought and lifestyle of the Blitz scene truly weaved its way through the remainder of the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s and on to the present day. While references to music and mode of the time have been continually rehashed with the necessary twists, still something of the attitude remains… the urge to strike out and make a visual impression with total conviction.
Princess Julia
Call The Tiger - Performance from Bishi TV on Vimeo.
Grace Jones sported a different Philip Treacy hat for every song she sung, highlights included hoola hooping for an entire song, a lazer beam bouncing off a silver sparkle bowler and belting out all the songs we love her for! 
Over in the Downlow building A Man To Pet does an Amanda Lear number...
Felicity Hayward who helped with the running order of Noki's mainstage fashion show.
La Gateaux Chocolate getting ready...
An outfit from Noki's show...
Peaches who has a broken leg being interviewed backstage. Wheelchair 2010's Bette Midler!
In the Bear Your Soul VIP bar Ronnie King Duets with Paloma Faith!
Ronnie King and The Hustlers...
Peaches arrived on stage in a wheelchair pushed by a beautiful she-mail...
She still managed to do song high kicks!
Jonny Woo sported an array out outfits, this one by Lee Benjamin - Amaze!
Jonny Woo ethic bondage look!
Downlow... Scottee peers out...
Shows all day at the Downlow...
Ryan Styles backstage, unfortunatly didn't get to perform, cut due to adverts! But I've seen this show and if you get the chance go see!
Inbetween bands Woo and co performed...
Richardette on stage pressing buttons!
Russella... sings her song Too Fabulous!
Ma Butcher surrounded by her troupe with an interpretation of Kylies 'All The Lovers'!
This was at 1pm, crowds are coming as Jonny Woo starts up the review!
Here she comes!
Backstage midday... getting ready, Ma butcher and Jeanette.
La Peque getting ready for the Salvation's stage!
Jonny Woo and James Ballie who programed the event...
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