Earlier this year I participated in a symposium on interior design and pop culture at London’s Institute Of Contemporary Arts.
The day of talks and discussion was organised by the designer Ben Kelly, who is professor of interiors across the colleges of the University Of The Arts London.
I chose as my subject the history of the address 430 King’s Road, which housed a series of important and interesting fashion boutiques over a two-decade span from the early 60s. Since the early 80s it has, of course, stayed in the form of Vivienne Westwood’s shop Worlds End; prior to that it was the Kelly-designed Seditionaries.
Other contributors included writers Michael Bracewell, Alice Rawsthorn and Peter York, artists Lucy Mackenzie, academics Fred Deakin and Andrew Wilson, curator Jana Scholz, author/musician/teacher David Toop, photographer Bridget Smith and designers Barber Osgeby, Peter Saville and Ben Kelly himself.
View my talk below or here.
Ian Harris
October 20, 2015 at 9:43 amFascinating stuff Paul. Wish I still had my “One day you’re gonna wake up..” T-Shirt from SEX !
I remember how intimidating the shop was, didn’t stop me going in though. It felt like history
unfolding and I wanted a part of it.
Steve E
October 23, 2015 at 7:17 pmDear old Peter York. I once had the privilege of walking into the Oxford Union side by side with the chap to watch our then-Editor lead a debate on, well, I can’t actually remember to be honest. As usual, the whole shebang was sponsored by a beer company and a couple of models who were walking around sporting ‘ironic’ T-shirts had also brought along some spliffs. I had to stop the coach on the way back to town to have a puke. Tsk…
By the by, Paul. Has anyone mentioned that you sound like a bit like Talcy Malcy?
Paul Gorman Author
October 26, 2015 at 5:14 pmWell it’ll be a north London thing; after moving from Stokey he was brought up less than half a mile from my family in the same ‘burb