//Leporello for The Conformist featuring (far left), David Parkinson’s unusual entry in his 1970 photography degree show at London’s Regent Street Poly//

//Paul Kindersley at last night’s exhibition opening//

The Conformist – artist Paul Kindersley’s counter intuitively-titled group show about non-conformity of expression from Emma, Lady Hamilton and Aubrey Beardsley to Marvin Gaye Chetwynd and Julie Verhoeven – opened with a bang last night with a private view at Mayfair’s art and jewellery space Belmacz.

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Tags: Aubrey Beardsley, Belmacz, Club International, Emma Lady Hamilton, Eve Ferret, I Groaned With Pain, Jah Wobble, James Cahill, John Frankland, Judy Blame, Julia Muggenburg, Julie Verhoeven, Leigh Bowery, Let It Rock, Marvin Gaye Chetwynd, Rose Wylie, Stephen Jones, Valerie Allam, Vivienne Westwood

//At The Wallace Collection last month//

Lovely to see the gorgeous Eve Ferret out and about this spring with a series of live dates to celebrate the long-overdue release of her first album.

I fell under Eve’s spell in the summer of 1978, witnessing performances at Covent Garden’s pre-New Romantic Blitz club with her-then partner James “Biddie” Biddlecombe. More recently we connected via the late Tommy Roberts, at whose memorial she sang a version of Rawhide which rocked ’em in the aisles and nearly blew the roof off St Giles in the Fields.

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Tags: Absolute Beginners, Biddie & Eeve, Blitz, Brasserie Zédel, David Bowie, Django Reinhardt, Eve Ferret, Fran Landesman, Hot Club de France, James Biddlecombe, Jazzin' For Blue Jean, Julien Temple, Pierre "Baro" Ferret, Pimlico, Roddy Matthews, Scars, Simon Wallace, The Wallace Collection

//Tommy Roberts, 1987. Photo: Christopher Clunn//

Sad to note the anniversary today of the death of Tommy Roberts, flamboyant design entrepreneur and subject of my book Mr Freedom.

//Dedication (right) with (left on cover-flap) list of abiding interests (courtesy Eve Ferret + Mark Summerfield) and Brian Aris portrait//

//Roberts opened Kleptomania with Charlie Simpson in Kingly Street, central London, in 1966//

//Neon arch sales counter display designed by Jeffrey Pine for Mr Freedom, opened with partner Trevor Myles at 430 King’s Road in September 1969//

Here – with a selection of images from Mr Freedom – is an extract from an essay I have written about Roberts’ role in the development of design in Britain for Chris Breward and Ghislaine Wood’s book British Design: Tradition & Modernity, which will be published by Bloomsbury next year.

It is arguable that wider recognition for Tommy Roberts’ audacious innovations in the promotion of street style, furniture, gastronomy, home-wares, interiors and collectables was undercut by his refusal to observe the sensitivities of England’s post-war design world.

Roberts adopted an ebullient public persona to match his stout physique and broad Cockney accent. “I’m the most vulgar man in fashion, darlin’!” Roberts proclaimed to the no-less outrageous Sunday Times fashion editor Molly Parkin in the heyday of his Pop Art fashion and objects emporium Mr Freedom.

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Tags: Chris Breward, City Lights Studio, Eve Ferret, Ghislaine Wood, Jeffrey Pine, Keith Roberts, Kilburn & The High Roads, Mark Summerfield, Molly Parkin, Mr Feed'Em, Paul Conroy, Practical Styling, Sunday Times, TomTom, Two Columbia Road

//Jeff Dexter (back to camera) with fashion historian Laura Helms + Nigel Waymouth.//

The Lewis Leathers shop in Whitfield Street W1 was the venue of the launch of The Look Of London map collaboration with Herb Lester Associates.

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Tags: Alex Taylor, Ali Rose, Ben Olins, Bruce Marcus, Caz Facey, Cube PR, Dawbell PR, Derek Harris, Ed Rekkers, Eve Ferret, Gieves & Hawkes, Herb lester Associates, Jah Wobble, Jane Smillie, Jeff Dexter, John Frankland, John Gall, Jordan Baseman, JP Gaul, Jules Middlebrook, Kitty Regan, Laura Helms, Lewis Leathers, Mark Wagstaff, Mrs G, Nick Abrahams, Nick ferman, Nicoal Murray, Nigel Waymouth, Patrick Watson, Rachel Caunt, Saint Craft, Sarah Watson, Suze Malyon, Teri Grenert, Tom Sheehan, Will Hodgkinson

//Clockwise from top: With Joe + Duke Brooks; Jimmy Page + Jeff Dexter; Joe, Duke + Pippa Brooks with Tommy Roberts; Caz Facey with...J+D! These photos: Pippa Brooks.//

There were big smiles for Tommy Roberts at the midsummer’s eve party to celebrate the publication of my new book Mr Freedom – Tommy Roberts: British Design Hero.

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Tags: Adelita, Amber Butchart, Bruce Marcus, Caz Facey, Chris Salewicz, Clive Jennings, Daisy de Villeneuve, Derek Boshier, Eve Ferret, Gerald Tilling, Hamish McAlpine, Ian Bodenham, Ian Johns, Jan de Villeneuve, Jane Roberts, Jeff Dexter, Jenny Ross, Jimmy Page, John Ingham, John Pearse, Johnny Deluxe, Julie Logan, Justin de Villeneuve, Katherine Higgins, Keith Roberts, Kevin Rowland, Kirsty Hislop, Laura Kitty, Leslie Poole, Liz Egglestone, Mandi Martin, Mark Powell, Mark Summerfield, Martin Cole, Natalie Gibson, Nick Abrahams, Nick Logan, Nisha Thirkell, Pamina Caruso Brassey, Paula McGinley, Pete Barrett, Pinkitessa, Pippa Brooks, Robert Ashton, Robert Orbach, Siobhan Fahey, Tapper Zukie, Trevor Mill, Two Columbia Road