Spunky, spirited, creative

Press, 18 December 1985, Page 16

Spunky, spirited, creative

‘ In vogue

Paula Ryan

London’s street scene: part two

Without question, the greatest noticeable change in London right now is the young cult, with a new awareness and a brighter attitude of get-up-and-go.

It is almost like the fabulous Sixties ... spunky, spirited, and creative with a great deal of individualism. What’s the most fun about it is that if you want to look different in London, nobody stares, nobody cares! In Enzed, nobody dares!

A real innovation for young designers is Hyper Hyper, in Kensington, which is a series of shops within a shop, each one owned by a young British designer. They show collectively under the Hyper Hyper label at the British Designer Collections.

' The designers are very original in their approach to fashion, and embody many elements of fancy in their designs. Through the Hyper Hyper umbrella they have the means for highly creative individualism and a continual aspiration. A wander through Hyper Hyper is a must ... the stands and booths are all manned by assistants wearing the gear ... some 1990 punk, some retro Sixties, some very theatrical. I liked the hats! They were amazing, sculptured creations which appear very often in English ’’Vogue.” The jewellery, however, was a little disappointing at Hyper Hyper, with a few superb modern metallic pieces mixed with a lot of kitsch junk.

The young are into mini skirts ... When it comes to fat thighs London doesn’t differ from New Zealand.

They wear them, thighs ’n all! Noticeably consistent are the very favoured flat shoes and boots ... laced up as they were last winter, but in suedes, patents, and bright colours. Tapestry slippers for evening are everywhere, and the grannies’ Granny lace-up ankle boots with low heels are very much in favour. High-heeled shoes seem to be restricted to evening only ... thank goodness. Everybody is wearing gloves. The most outstanding were re-embroidered leather gloves with suede inserts. It is certainly a hat season, and all the adventurous shapes of the season are out there on the streets. Everybody in London

seems to own a coat ... either a Germanic-styled trench, or a fitted redingote style, or full and swinging almost to the ankle. The men’s wear is very exciting on the streets. The British man looks wonderful. Suits all seem to be immaculately cut, and there never seems to be any sign of yesterday’s creases. They wear their clothes with such panache! The typical proto-type London businessman with his rolled ‘bolly” and beautiful brief case wears a sharp, pin-stripe suit or reefer and trousers and the most stylish shoes. They must have wondered about me ... I stared at them!

Every man seemed to be wearing black, grey, and white. Very black and white mix in tweeds. Black and

grey mixes, were very popular. Men’s knitwear is most imaginative and lively with mixes of black, purple, and grey predominating. His younger counterpart is trendy, with the fine line between men’s wear and women’s wear now a lot narrower.

Young men are certainly not looking like women, but sex does not seem to be as clearly delineated as formerly. The dandy interpretations in women’s wear have certainly narrowed the gap, and younger men are looking great.

Jackets are over-sized, and are even worn over suits. Tweeds are very soft, with a brushed appearance, and fabrics are mixed together — blanket cloths with plaids, corduroy, serge, teddy bear cloths, and fun

furs. Young men are into waist coats for town and country, and for the evening. The styles on the streets vary from classic to eccentric in jacquard knit, tapestry weaves, brocades of every description, velvets ana plain or embroidered satins. Trousers are pleated from the waist, and fall to a narrower cuff for both town and country. The scarf is the big accessory feature for men. Every second man seemed to have a cashmere scarf with a top coat or trench, which is a very good look indeed. A final word about cashmere ... for visitors to London a piece of cashmere is just about the best souvenir you can buy. You can buy good cashmere Vnecked or crewe necked in Marsk and Spencer, or the bargain knit speciality stores, for around 1136.