Mind The Gap
Zelda's fashionpatrol of London
archived from Spring, 2000

approached London's immense
Millennium Dome with my traveling companion somewhat jet-lagged and bewildered after riding up one of the longest escalators in the world up from the depths of the new Jubilee Tube (subway) line. Twenty pounds (about 30 US dollars) was a little pricey to enter this vast corporate exhibit center, but The Dome itself was pretty cool architecture and does do its job of promoting British design with a kind of not-so-friendly "functionalistic" optimism. "Cool Britannia" is the Labour govenment's public relations theme... a thoroughly modern, hip, updated United Kingdom poised to receive all the tourism an affluent world audience can offer.

The dominent exhibitors are Ford Motor Company, British Telephone and The Church of England... the really Big Corporations in British life at present! All peddling their propaganda. The Dome will be a big tourist mob scene this summer. The joke is that the government has no idea what to do with the thing after the year ends.

Back to reality, on the street in Chelsea, it only took a few minutes to observe that British fashion has its own stalwart outlook. BLACK remains IT. More than ever. No where have I seen so much of the sacred darkness being worn as if obligated.

It's late Spring!
The international fashion marketing conspiracy has invested billions in promotion and inventory to proclaim the return of delightful new pastels, especially pink. So discard or ignore everything in your wardrobe from previous seasons and consume, consume, consume. No one (very few) in London is buying it. And that's what's genuinely cool about Londoners.
They are self-directed and just keep looking the way they want to; a look that's intensely contemporary and confidently theirs... a special urbane sophistication that puts London on the world fashion map not so much by design, but more in practice: by living fashionably.

Bravo: or Cheers!-- I say.
Besides deeply loving Black myself, the Londoners go beyond my wildest dreams by universally loving-- and demanding-- Black for every kind of garment and occasion. Simply Brilliant (or, if you will, just "Brill") and Absolutely Fabulous! We saw the same phenomenon in Manchester (Britain's Second City), too.

The stores were hedging their bets, apparently caught between what the manufacturers are "predicting" or pushing (soft fruity pastels) and what this sophisticated public wants (Black). Small boutiques and the largest department store chain were schizophrenic in their window displays. A token of the newly suggested pastels, but grounded in the Black that's selling. Perhaps they can work together with lots of compromised mix and match separates... steer them away from total black with a delightful mix-and-match alternative. That's the message I get from my propensity to window shop.

The rare
pink building
was not winning
any architectural
fashion awards
in London, either.
This freakish edifice
was found on
the Thames
just near the
new Design Museum.

Antonio Gaudî gets a sex change.

America's The Gap was everywhere,
too, with a similar strategy.
Except they seem to have the help of
the vast subway system on their side.
Every time you boarded or exited
The Tube a proper and compelling
British Lady's voice came over
the speakers commanding you to...
"Mind The Gap."

Talk about subliminal advertising!
It was haunting.

This was NOT
Carnaby Street:

A stroll down Carnaby Street (once Ground Zero for rebellious Hippie Fashion in the late '60's/early '70's inspired by London's own Vivienne Westwood) was, indeed, a disappointment. T-shirts for Tourists might as well be its byline. A more genuine shopping experience is to be found on the weekends at Kennsington's open air market where hundreds of vendors set up to sell a whole range of fashion and accessories. Lots of bargains. Lots of choices.

Clubbing was quite wonderful and I found particular joy at a the fabulous Club Duckie, (www.duckie.co.uk) held every Saturday at the historic Royal Vauxhall Pub. Hosted by Miss Amy Lamé (left), an outspoken lesbian from New Jersey, the most exciting dance music is played by two drag DJ's known as The Vicker's Wives while comedic performances peppered an evening of very edgy fun.

The Dot.Com craze was in great evidence in London, too. Everywhere there are billboards and transit signs promoting one or another ".com" (or the British protocol ".co.uk"). And The Gap's website does plenty of sales online there. But the independent Londoners aren't all so quick to be sold that bill of goods either. Besides, Internet access in the U.K. is mostly still billed by the phone company, by the minute, so it's popularity is a bit stifled.

Anyway, I found this insightful piece of stenciled graffiti on several bus stops:

"Arse" in British means "ass."

So, at all times,
everywhere you go from this moment on remember to... Mind The Gap.

Until my next patrol,

Shop me now!

Men's Clothing | Women's Clothing | Art & Design | Home Fashions & Gifts
Sporty Stuff | Accessories | Bargains | Cool Stuff

 

Back to the Homepage | AboutUs and our Policies | zelda@fashionpatrol.com