I have been excited to visit the V&A ‘From Club to
Catwalk’ exhibition ever since I heard it was on just because I have a mini obsession
with Leigh Bowery so I wanted to gain a more thorough understanding of the
period in which he flourished: 1980s club scene in London.
The exhibition was split into two sections the ground floor
focused on catwalk trends and the first floor was dedicated to club fashion. Walking
around the ground floor I saw designers who I hadn’t previously heard of such
as Chrissie Walsh and Willy Brown which has made me want to research them more
as I particularly loved Willy brown’s peacock eye dress, it was a structured
concave dress hand painted with peacock eyes it has similar traits to Issey
Miyake pleats please collection in terms of 3D structure and shape. Also in a
period when most club revellers were strutting around as preened peacocks aiming
to out dazzle and shine other clubbers it was a dress that oozed uniqueness and
creativity.
Another stand out section from the ground floor was a display
dedicated to Levis denim jackets various designers customised them this
highlighted the strong DIY ethos and cut and paste aesthetic of the 80s. The
stand out creations for me was the Leigh Bowery creation in which he covered
whole jacket with gold hair grips it turned a functional denim jacket into its
polar opposite a heavy, embellished kitsch show stopper.
Other sections from the ground floor that I was drawn
towards was a Vivienne Westwood Toga dress (1982-3) it was turtle neck with
Campbell soup iconography printed at the bottom it was a dress that I thought
was relevant today pop art has been seen printed on many a garment lately. Also
the Katharine Hamnett display with her original slogan tees wouldn’t look out
of place at a festival this year as there has been a resurgence in popularity
of slogan tees this summer and her display highlighted the original ethos of
the slogan tee as a vehicle to react against the establishment with a message
to inspire.
I enjoyed taking a minute and sitting on a bench to watch a
video showing different designer’s catwalk presentation from the 80s what
struck me was the difference with the catwalk collections today, then they
seemed more relaxed and fun with models role playing, rolling down the catwalk,
dancing along and all in all rarely a straight walk down the catwalk compared
to what we see happen a lot today. It emphasised that it was a period in which
designers were first starting to become internationally recognised and
established as LFW only started in 80s so it was a time for experiment and
creativity which can be seen in the catwalk presentations.
Going up the stairs to the ‘Club Fashion’ section of the
exhibition there was a mirror reflecting image of yourself with message saying ‘Would
you let you in?’ this was comical reference to the London underground clubs
such as Taboo and Blitz where you had to be dressed in a provocative, daring
extreme manner otherwise you would be refused entry on the basis of boredom.
Mannequins were displayed on raised platforms in clusters of
different sub cultures such as Goth, High Camp, New Romantics, Fetish and Rave.
Some of my favourite garments displayed were a Georgina Godley 1986 dress made
out of lycra with boned hoop at the hem it was at the same time provocative in
that it clings to body shape and restrictive as covered whole body.
A Leigh
Bowery stretch satin body suit with a suggestive tube of fabric hanging from
groin it provoked wonder in me that anybody would be daring enough to wear that
in public which he did, it only served to emphasize his unabashed dedication to
his art which he expressed in clothing and how clothing can be used to manipulate
a body and people around you into expressing different reactions and personas. A
three tongued platform trainer by Westwood was another item that was one of my
favourites I would wear it today, it shows how her designs are still unique and
relevant in an over saturated market of today.
Overall the expression I had when leaving the exhibition was
one of inspired creativity it made me want to get out my sewing kit and DIY some
of my own unique creations. The exhibition was played homage to freaks, show
offs and club weirdo’s of the 80s that made London what it is today a beacon and
haven for expressive fashion and the arts.
Club to Catwalk:
London Fashion in the 1980s is at the V&A until 16 February.
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