Don’t miss your last chance to see the bold and beautiful V&A Exhibition ‘Club to Catwalk: London fashion in the 80s’, displaying the design dualism between club wear and catwalk trends in the 1980’s. The ’80s was a boom time for the London club culture scene, with special nights for dressing up and dancing, fashion and the dance floor teamed up.

A must see exhibit for fashionistas and disco divas alike, where the mannequins strike a pose wearing 80s classics, and reminisce the brash make up, dresses and tresses of the time. The best of British designers, including Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and Betty Jackson are among the top names being honoured for their contribution to fashion and worldwide trend setting.

Vivienne Westwood wowed the world with her customised denim wear. Westwood and her partner Malcom McLaren played a key role in the emergence of punk in the 1970s. During the 1980s, a decade defined by the aftermath of the punk era, her collections became increasingly eclectic, drawing inspiration from modern art. She said: “I am a great believer in copying, there has never been an age in which people have so little respect for the past”. These looks were documented in magazines like The Face, iD and Blitz.

Eighties knitwear by Joseph, Artwork and Bodymap are mentioned too. Body Map was the label created by David Holah and Steve Stewart in 1982 and were widely known for their stretch garments bestowed with graphic patterns, influenced by Japanese Avant Garde.

The exhibition is displayed by different wardrobe moments and mayhem from the diverse decade of design, each being as theatrical as the other. The bouffant brigade, the New Romantics, Goth, Glam Fetish and Body Map take centre stage. Superstars such as Boy George, Adam Ant and Leigh Bowery embraced individualism and popularised graphic prints teamed with dramatic make up. Institutions, designers & clubs make up the ingredients of the exhibition. St. Martins and Royal College of Art and clubs Taboo and Heaven are given a special mention towards the success of what was a momentous era of British design.

Don’t miss this exhibition and the brilliant memorabilia at the V&A Shop. There is also a special V&A online 80′s fashion store for those who want that bit more http://www.vandashop.com

Friday evening, the V&A is open till late, 10pm.

Photos copyright V&A

To read the article in Macs Magazine, click here: http://www.macsmagazine.com/2014/01/v-a-club-to-catwalk-london-fashion-in-the-80s-exhibition/