Carnaby Street: 1960-2010

Book And Exhibition Review:
Carnaby Street: 1960-2010

http://londonist.com/2010/03/book_and_exhibition_review_carnaby.php

March 24, 2010

It's half a century since the advent of that most momentous of
decades for youth culture, the 1960s. At it's heart was Carnaby
Street, icon of Swinging London and magnet for dedicated followers of
fashion. A new book and local exhibition by fashion historians Judith
Clark and Amy de la Haye, celebrate this colourful area.

Carnaby Street: 1960-2010 is a double misnomer. Firstly (and rightly)
the exhibition considers the wider neighbourhood to Regent Street and
Marshall Street - an area dubbed simply 'Carnaby' by marketeers and
certain adverts in our sidebar. Second, the timeline stretches back
much further than the 60's. It's an unusual but welcome contrast to
read of the plague pits, cholera epidemics and semi-rural history of
the land alongside tales of high fashion and rock & roll. But make no
mistake, this is first and foremost about the last half century, and
the various fashion and musical trends that have washed through these streets.

Like the industry and culture it represents, the exhibition is a riot
of colour, neatly marrying style and substance. If you choose to
peruse it via the book, your senses will be further stimulated by the
smell. Yes, the smell. The book comes wrapped in some kind of funky
acrylic sheath, adding to its tactile appeal and giving your living
room that heady aroma of freshly painted wall. Inside, historical
anecdotes jostle with full-page photos, psychedelic prints and
blown-up song lyrics. In a genius bit of design, as styles get
smoother, so does the quality of the paper. It's the closest you'll
get to having the swinging sixties in one baking-tray-sized volume.

The content, while going into no great depth, gives a decent overview
of the changes that have taken place - from the rise of John
Stephen's fashion empire and the 'groovy, baby' culture parodied in
Austin Powers, through to mod and punk influences, into the bleaker
period of the 80s and 90s, and on to the revival of the area in the
Noughties. If there's one notable omission, it's the Spirit of Soho
mural, which stands on the corner of Broadwick Street - an incredible
piece of art, with the similar purpose of celebrating the area. But
no mention.

Minor quibbles aside, if you're a fashion junky, sixties aficionado
or just want to learn more about how one street changed the world, we
can only say 'yeah, baby, yeah!'.

Carnaby Street: 1960-2010 runs at 38 Carnaby Street until the
beginning of April. Entrance is free. The book is available at the
exhibition, or online. http://www.carnaby.co.uk/news/news_item.cfm?id=176

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