London Fashion Week’s launch last Friday was perfectly kicked off with a salute to the best of British fashion. Peppered with a few cocktails along the way.
Lifestyle, art and fashion publication Tank Magazine hosted the ‘Best of British’ party at one of London’s secret treasures, The Shop At Bluebird. The concept boutique is located on King’s Road, a boulevard made famous for its association with the birth of many ’60s and ’70s trends. Renowned designers including punk-queen Vivienne Westwood and mini-skirt inventor Mary Quant opened stores on the road over a legendary couple of decades when their rise as some of the nation’s most distinguished designers began.
The pop-up space inside was transformed into an oasis of mirrors and pendulous light bulbs. Printed on the mirrors was a visual timeline exhibiting Britain’s most iconic fashion designers of the last fifty years. Among the pivotal dates on display was the opening of Vivienne Westwood’s ‘SEX’ boutique at World’s End in 1974. The timeline was also giving heed to more recent designers like Meadham Kirchoff and Jonathan Saunders. The guests were treated to both a beautiful installation and and a crash-course in British fashion history.
As the night progressed and the venue become increasingly crowded there was a real buzz in the air. DJ Ben Bridgewater spun electro on the decks whilst the unlimited supply of free cocktails was thwarted by a lack of mixers which resulted in undismayed guests sipping Belvedere Vodka on the rocks.
Photography by Eva Liu.