club to catwalk: london fashion in the '80s

vivienne westwood with her (then) partner, music manager malcolm mclaren, ca. 1985. photograph by david montgomery.

fallen angel suit by john galliano, 1985.

denim jacket, "blitz" by levi strauss & co. customized by vivienne westwood, 1986.

khaki suit by katharine hamnett, 1985.

(i have that t-shirt!)

denim jacket, "blitz" by levi strauss & co customized by leigh bowery, 1986.

sketch for levi strauss & co denim jacket, "blitz" by stephen jones, 1986.

the victoria and albert museum announced its 2013 exhibition club to catwalk: london fashion in the '80s, curated by the v&a head of fashion, claire wilcox. it will look at how the impact of underground club culture reinvented fashion. more than 85 outfits from designers such as john galliano, vivienne westwood, betty jackson, rifat ozbek, pam hogg & katherine hamnett will be on display.  the show will be divided into fashion "tribes":  fetish, goth, rave, high camp & new romantics.

in addition, the organizers are working to reunite a series of 22 levi's jackets commissioned by blitz magazine & customized by designers that include vivienne westwood, richard cornejo, zandra rhodes, paul smith & jasper conran. (there is also a denim jacket customized by leigh bowery with fringes of bobby pins!)

the show will also include accessories from designers that include judy blame, patrick cox & bernstock speirs and archive magazines such as the face, i-D & blitz.

the show opens in july 2013.

man, this takes me back....i used to stay up all night making "outfits" and getting dressed to go out.  now that "hipster" fashion is available at the local mall i wonder what will happen to the creativity of this generation?  i remember going to new york & seeing all the club kids dressed in crazy outfits & make-up and being so inspired. it was all about originality and creativity.... i'm going to have to dig out my old hamnett t-shirt!