Rarely spotted Mr Freedom designs emerge from Audrey’s wardrobe after 45 years
//Audrey Watson’s great grand-neice Carlie models the spot-print two-piece bought in 1971 from Mr Freedom’s branch at 20 Kensington Church Street in west London. All photos: Helen Smith//
//Sooty & Sweep print Mr Freedom shirt also acquired by Watson on one of her shopping trips to London in the early 70s//
The emergence of good condition Mr Freedom designs with strong provenance is rare these days, so I’m delighted to showcase these unusual and original garments from the seminal early 70s London boutique operated by Trevor Myles, John Paul and Tommy Roberts.
They were acquired in the early 70s from the second Mr Freedom outlet in Kensington by the ultra-stylish British collector Audrey Watson, now 87 and a lifelong devotee of quirky and interesting clothing who has reluctantly begun the process of divesting herself of her fashion archive.
“We lived in Lincolnshire during my childhood, and my mother would often take me and my brother, who were young teenagers at the time, on shopping trips to London where she would buy amazing platform shoes and the most outrageous and unusual clothes for us all,” says Watson’s daughter Helen Smith.
“I still have clear memories of those exciting shopping trips. There are also many photos of my mum in her wonderful clothes, as well as photos of her with me and my brother on the train back from London sporting our newly-purchased platforms!”
//Freddie Laughton models Mr Freedom designs including the classic Baseball Suit in Look-in’s Fashion Model Annual 1971. Photos: Bob Hall//
Smith adds: “And I still have the Look-in Fashion Model Annual I was given for Christmas 1971; it has a feature about Mr Freedom with pictures of suits which are very similar to my mum’s.”
The spotted cotton trouser two-piece is a rare version of Mr Freedom’s better-known Baseball Suit, designed by Diana Crawshaw and more often produced with knicker-bocker or hipster trousers in contrasting velvets.
The shirt – also marked size 10 – with epaulettes featuring a print of TV puppets Sooty & Sweep is typical of Mr Freedom’s unashamed celebration of the camp and kitsch aspects of pop culture.
Watson’s star-print sleeveless mini dress above is in the spirit of Mr Freedom Pop approach but unlabelled so not confirmed as coming from the store. Neither is her giant buckled belt, though again it chimes with the Freedom aesthetic. At one point the boutique sold a range of resin buckled belts designed by Dinah Adams and Andrew Greaves.
Inquiries about these amazing pieces should be directed in the first instance here.
Audrey Watson’s clothing archive is celebrated in the Facebook group Audrey’s Wardrobe.