Beyond The Pale

Beyond The Pale Boutique, 1968.

Manageress, Jo Cruickshank, model, Chantey Mulville, owner, Peter Woodworth and model, Anthe Holt.

Jenny's Hung On You?

Jenny Boyd models for Hung On You(?)

Katherine Carpenter and Barbara Bach

Katherine Carpenter and Barbara Bach model in 1966. Barbara Bach would go on to marry Ringo Starr.

Mod Dresses

Mod fashions.

Granny Takes A Trip

Granny sells clothes to wear before you make love.

Hung On You

Hung On You, 22 Cale Street, London.

Andre Courreges

Andre Courreges, pioneer of the 'Space Age' look. Photoshoot in Paris, 1969.

Lord John

Warren Gold's Lord John shop, next door but one to John Stephen's His Clothes on Carnaby Steet.

In Vogue

Chrissie Shrimpton modelling for Vogue. Photo by David Bailey.

John Bates

Fashion designer, John Bates experimented with op-art fashion in the Sixties, with black and white bold contrasting shapes and styles, although he stuck to classic silhouettes and cuts.

He was also famous for designing the black leather outfits worn by Diana Rigg in The Avengers and the dresses worn by Julie Christie in the film, Shampoo. He also introduced some of the shortest mini dresses in the early sixties, trouser suits in 1962, string vest dresses in 1963, striped tube dresses with matching stockings and the 'Bikini Dress' which had a top and bottom halves, joined with transparent netting.

Jean Shrimpton models John Bates, for Vogue, 1966.

Alamac Ad

 "Where ever you go this weekend - enjoy it."

Alamac Knits advert from 1967.

Alamac Fabrics was founded in 1946 and is still making fabrics today!

The Birds Of Paradise

Swinging London fashion shoot.

Fly Translove Airways, Gets You There On Time...

"It was one of the best jobs a woman could get back then. I spoke languages and I wanted to travel; it was a very exclusive job and difficult to get. There was nothing else open for women, unless you wanted to be a secretary."  

- Christel Vane, who worked as a Pan Am Air Stewardess from 1959 - 1984


60s Flight Attendants uniforms

Pierre Cardin Swing Coats

 

'The clothes that I prefer are those I invent for a life that doesn't exist yet - the world of tomorrow.'

- Pierre Cardin 

Pierre Cardin, Polka Dot Swing Coats, 1967

60s Model - Pattie Boyd

 "I just don`t want to be the little wife sitting at home. I want to do something worthwhile."

Pattie Boyd - one of the first fashion models to become a household name, was the eldest of four children born to Colin Ian Langdon Boyd and Diana Frances Boyd. She grew up partly in Kenya before returning to England in the fifties. In 1962 she moved to London and worked as a shampoo girl before embarking on a modelling career.

In 1964 she was cast as a schoolgirl on the train in the Beatles film, A Hard Days Night. She caught the eye of George Harrison, who asked her out. At the time she was 'semi-engaged' to photographer, Eric Swayne, so initially declined, but shortly after broke off her engagement and started dating George. Not long after Pattie moved in with George into Kinfauns, their psychedelic bungalow in Esher, Surrey. They married in 1966 with Paul McCartney as best man.  In 1969 George wrote the Beatles song, Something about her.

Pattie's modelling career went from strength to strength and she was photographed by David Bailey and Terrance Donovan. She modelled for Mary Quant, Vogue and other famous fashion houses and magazines, sometimes working with her sister, Jenny Boyd. Unfortunately, George was not too keen on Pattie working so by the end of the sixties her modelling career had dwindled down to only a handful of one off photo shoots.

Following some problems, not least the fact she and George were unable to start a family together, Pattie's marriage to George began to break down. She met Eric Clapton (George's friend) and after she rejected him a few times, they began a passionate affair. Eric wrote the song Layla about his love for Pattie. George and Pattie broke up in the early Seventies and Pattie eventually married Eric in 1979. Eric also wrote the song, Wonderful Tonight about her.

Pattie and Eric's marriage was sadly to fall apart too. Eric struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. Pattie became depressed and admitted to drinking and taking drugs too, although she never becoming reliant on them in the way Eric did. Feeling trapped in another stay-at-home-wife style relationship, she left Eric in 1984 and they divorced in 1988.

Following two turbulent marriages to rock stars, Pattie took herself out of the limelight somewhat. She began to pursue a career as a photographer and began to do charity work. She co-founded drugs charity, SHARP with Ringo Starr's wife, Barbara Bach in 1991.

In 2007 Pattie published her autobiography, Wonderful tonight - her memoir of a remarkable life in the 60s and 70s.

The King Of Carnaby Street

 Male W1, Carnaby Street in 1966

It's it only befitting that a blog called 'The Carnaby Chronicle' should begin with The King Of Carnaby Street himself, Mr John Stephen.

John Stephen owned as many as eight shops along Carnaby Street in the sixties, with more in places such as Regent Street, Old Compton Road and the Kings Road as well as eventually the USA and Europe, but not a huge amount seems to be known about this enigmatic entrepreneur.

Originally from Glasgow, John Stephen began his menswear career in 1952 by working firstly for Moss Bros. and then in Vince's Man's Shop which was situated just off in Newborough Street, London. He opened his own shop in 1956 in Beak Street, just off Carnaby Street. A fire at the Beak Street shop resulted in a move to number 5 Carnaby Street, and the Carnaby Street fashion parade began!

Before John Stephen and His Clothes arrival, Carnaby Street was a narrow back street in central London, not too far from The London Palladium and behind the prestigious Regent Street. By the end of the sixties Carnaby Street was the centre for fashion and the heart of Swinging London's look. John Stephen had expanded to multiple shops including several branches of His Clothes, Male W1, His 'N' Hers, Trecamp (Womens wear) Domino, Mod Male and John Stephen's Man's Shop.

John Stephen's company was publicly floated in 1972, but closed and assets sold off to competitors in 1975, around the time that Carnaby Street was considered to be on the down turn. After which, there isn't an awful lot of information available on what happened to our Mr. Stephen. He worked for Francisco-M, importing European designs in the seventies and later represented fashion franchises in the UK, including premium fashion house, Lanvin but after that, there seems to be a question mark over what became of him.

He died in 2004 at age 70 and in 2005 Westminster City Council unveiled a plaque commemorating his influence on Carnaby Street and importance to London and the fashion industry.