The Brooklyn born child of a Puerto Rican mother and a Haitian father, what better chemistry for a brilliant child. A brilliant and radiant star that burned out too fast. But left a wonderful impact on the artworld as one of the best of his generation.

Jean Michel Basquiat left home at the age of 17 to live on the streets of the Lower East Side to make his living as an artist.

It was the late 70’s and he found himself at the center of the world in terms of art, music and culture. There was CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City, LES; there was art rock, punk rock, new wave, HipHop and all the cool kids, down-n-out kids, the losers, the weirdos, the young, the artistic, the ugly, the glamorama, the lace curtain kids, uptown kids, Manhattan kids, Brooklyn kids, the Bronx & Queens kids, the willing and the dangerous were creating and expressing themselves in an economically depressed (almost lawless) city and man was it a good time.

  On the walls of burnt out buildings, subway walls, doorways and postcards. He started writing graffiti under the name SAMO with abstract lines of poetry and then sold art on postcards to random people on the street. SAMO was beginning to attract attention from the curious forward-thinking eyes of the art world. A literal “Rags to Riches” story, From NYC to Europe, he traveled the world and shown his art in galleries internationally garnering equal acclaim as well disdain and prejudice from the orthodox bourgeoisie detractors of the High-ART elite. Truly, one of a kind. Avant-garde, musician, artist and, at one time, actor.
This Documentary is a perfect time capsule of what New York City use to be before the cornballs, transplants, Karens and douchebags took it over and ruined it.

Radiant Child is curated, produced & directed by Tamra Davis (Half Baked, CB4, Billy Madison). Built around an interview she did with Jean Michel in California after an art show in 1986. Tamra buried the interview to never to be seen by the public until 2010, after a few decades and suggestions by peers to release the interview, she decided to cutup the interview with compiled stories from people that knew him with archival footage and photographs to piece together the life and greatness of  the Radiant Child himself. This is a documentary you must see right now.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “Naturally, the doc is well illustrated with examples of Basquiat’s work, some of which are little-seen. But even those who dispute his place in art history should come away with a feeling for the man whose brief career is a textbook example of a flame burning too bright to last.”

The Artforum wrote: “The movie gives a sense of how driven he was, how it seemed as if he aimed, by sheer volume, to assure himself a place in the pantheon of twentieth-century painters, when in fact he achieved that position by virtue of a necessarily smaller number of masterpieces, produced in the early and late stages of his heartbreakingly short career.”

Recommended viewing : Keep Your Finger on that REWIND button.

Chauncey had just stumbled his way out of the VIP lounge and down the alley connecting Spruce to Locust as he was casually strolling to his own beat. His arms moving in rhythm and his stride wide. Back and forth as he somehow maintained his equilibrium after three shots of pure absinthe and a few crumbs of mushrooms. He was baked, tossed, hammered, grinded up, lit and totally wild as he whistled during his march down the street.

The earphones on his head were pulsing and pushed to their auditory limits with sounds from a personalized mixtape of his own making. Songs by Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Bolshoi, The Alarm, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Dramarama, Death in June and he even threw in some Depeche Mode and, dare I say it, some Lauren Brannigan.

The music was the soundtrack to his pilgrimage for a good time and some good ole’ cheer. A sincere remedy for the condition of being alive and in the moment. Every second was an elixir to a higher plateau of being. A true objective pessimist, he embraced his stain in the universe and chose to burn his signature into existence like a Turkish filtered cigarette in the ashtray of life.

He was a man of his own making. Too good for Members Only and the only shoes worthy of his feet were some ADIDAS sambas. If it wasn’t two-tone, then he didn’t wear it. His suits were pressed, tailored and smart. The Fred Perry on his pullover never looked crisper. He was a bubble gum chewing aggro; too cool for any school. Maybe that’s why he never finished after Junior year.

The supplier at the warehouse party was dry and he knew it was After Hours at the Shade on 22nd Street.

Past three intersections and well on his way to his destination and soon “Liftoff”. He was well into the guitar solo of “A Strange Day” by The Cure from the Pornography album, when out of his peripheral a white Monte Carlo SS rips a wicked right turn and nearly smears him against the Volkswagen parked at the hydrant.

He felt his soul shift a few inches into his stomach and his testicles shrink.

The white muscle car spun out but the driver regained his control of the car like a professional drunk driver and not some weekend enthusiast. Chauncey was pissed but anger soon became horror  when the pan handler, jay walking, down the street gets hit and lays there broken and in extreme pain on the asphalt.

Just when the night was getting started.

“What am I supposed to do, now?”
– SamHaiNe …
samhaine.bandcamp.com

To be continued in part 2 –   https://newretrowave.com/2021/08/30/fish-scale-part-2-a-nostalgic-flash-fiction/

I know everyone right now is celebrating Michael Jackson on his what would’ve been his 60th birthday. Happy Birthday, Jacko. But, I wanted to remember another B-List celebrity of the 1980’s, better known as the host of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous and the voice behind over the top, cheesey, self-indulgent wealth and celebrity, Robin Douglas Leach.

The loud and charismatic Leach, was born in London and started out as a young editor for his school paper before graduating from and as a local journalist for the Harrow Observer for only a few pounds a week.

He became the youngest “Page One” reporter for the Britain’s Daily Mail before, later moving to the States and worked for publications such as the New York Daily News, People and Ladies Home Journal.

At some point in the nineteen-eighties, Leach became the host and voice behind Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. Lifestyles was a syndicated series documenting the lives of well-known and (in later seasons)  obscure celebrities and aired from the mid-1980’s all the way into the 90’s when Shari Belafonti was added to the show as his co-host. Shari Belafonti, not a superstar celebrity but obviously recognized as the daughter of Harry Belafonti. An addition that in my eyes was well suited for the show since by this time in the ninties the shows list of stars to showcase started to scrap the bottom of the barrel and almost seem like a parody of itself.

Lifestyles was created by Alfred M. “Al” Masini, who had also created Solid Gold, Entertainment Tonight, and Star Search;all of these were part of his Operation Prime Time project, which he later renamed Television Program Enterprises and later merged with Rysher Entertainment to form Rysher TPE, though Solid Gold or Entertainment Tonight were never syndicated by TPE or Rysher but all 4 are now owned by CBS Television Distribution.”
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyles_of_the_Rich_and_Famous

Lifestyles had two spinoff series, Runaway with the Rich and Famous, also hosted by Leach. The series also aired in first-run syndication, from 1986 to 1994. There was also Fame, Fortune and Romance broadcast on ABC from 1986 to 1987. I briefly remember  Runaway but the later “Fame, Fortune,..” I haven’t the slightest recollection of .

The damn show was very aware of itself. The 80’s were all about being unapologetic and reckless with your cash. Excess and lack of consideration for the waste or lack off were the mode. Style over substance and in some cases just style. The celebrities on the show were no different. I remember on episode, it might’ve been centered around a sheikh, member of royalty or some Tony Stark type 1%er that had yachts and a gold toilet. The toilet was made of friggin’ gold. I was under the age of ten years and , no lie, there were two songs that if they started playing, I would run to the television full- speedforce: 1. The Fraggle Rock theme song and Lifestyles. Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe Married with Children and the Robin of Sherwood theme are up there on that list. The theme music was by Bill Conti titled, “Come with me now” from the film Five Days from Home (1979). Another raging tune that would play either during the opening of the show or wit promos of upcoming episodes is “Runaway” from the 1981 James Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’.

If there be a collected Blue-Ray of the series, I want one. It’s so dated and a time capsule of an America obsessed with its own vanity and the style and what was considered, “Cool” need to be preserved in the mental  museums of our nostalgia playsets. Pay close attention the expressions of colors, fabrics, neons, shoulder pads, leather slip-on shoes with no socks, silk shirts and at the end of every episode “Champagne wishes and Caviar Dreams”.

The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous host died at the age of 76 on Friday, August 24. The Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he worked as a celebrity columnist, reported that he had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in November 2017. He had a second and more serious stroke on Monday, August 20. The reporter moved to Las Vegas in 1999 and spent his final years covering local star-studded events. Leach is survived by his sons Steven, Gregg and Rick.

Stay Classy and Elegant and keep your hearts on the Rewind Button.

https://oldvaclav.tumblr.com.

In the early 80s most of British fell in love with the fairytale of the romance of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles of Wales. Diana played family with her husband Prince Charles and sons William and Henry inside and outside Kensington Palace. She did it well, through could hardly be remarked with BAFTA, and became a recognized fashion icon, like Jacqueline Kennedy was in the 60s, — thanks to her refined, but else quite simple wardrobe, or, more likely, the costumes for the famous play. That started with her romantic wedding dress made of 40 meters of silk fabric by Elizabeth and David Emanuel and consisted of a corsage with sleeves in Empire style, a fluffy skirt trimmed with ancient English lace and a 7.5-meter traîne. The dress of Princess Diana inspired designers to create romantic collections and thousands of young girls, all over the world, — to wear dresses with wide skirts to knees, silk blouses with romantic flounces and small collars, ruffles, neckties and bows.

A blond girl in “Take On Me” Music Video, drawn in a kind of magic dream with the mischievous imp in a leather jacket, —looks like Princess Diana in a simple unadorned baggy dress and with a fashionable hairstyle of around 1981-1982.

Since 1985 up to 1992, “The Golden Girls”, an American sitcom, was aired on television and gained huge popularity proved with winning eleven “Emmy” awards, four Golden Globes Awards. The series also put an end to NBC’s ratings slump, along with “The Cosby Show”, “227”, “Night Court”, “Miami Vice”, and “L.A. Law”, so was remade in countries across Europe in 2000s. Blanche the lusty harlot, Rose the “dumb blonde”, Dorothy, a sarcastic supply teacher, and her hilarious mother Sophia come from Sicily — those zingy grandmas gave no way to girls of the younger age and showed up the right style for grown-ups who are still in search for true love. They could wear floral garments of bold colours as their casual wear, flashing elegance and femininity, reverentially veiled beyond silk, crepe de Chine, cashmere, cotton, chiffon, and satin. The costume designer Judy Evans did a wonderful job keeping her eye on the Golden Girls to dress up à la mode in glittering black or pastel-coloured evening gowns of square silhouettes with emphatic wide shoulders and obscure waist.

Meanwhile, there were mainly two types of evening skirts for romantic looks those days: fluffy or fitting skirts, — the ones that would be completely unacceptable even for the bravest grandmas. When the night fell down a city, dreamy young ladies poshed up themselves in dresses by Versace, Escada, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Cerutti, or Chanel, — trimmed with lace, guipure, or tulle, and wore long gloves, drawings one’s attention to beauty of hands and grace of movements. The illustrations by Tony Viramontes show those images to us to the full extent of their power, among with yuppies, the impression, which notable names make, and the latest quite things they produce.

During the day, clothing was simpler: blouses with flounces and ruffles, jackets, and typically fitting high waist trousers, pencil skirt, case dresses, and so on. Oversized pullovers of soft materials made a girl looking small, sensual and fragile, among with laced stockings put together with heavy leather boots or a pair of sport-chic shoes adding a pinch of obstinacy to the whole image as a self-defense. Laced accessories were quite normal: lace gloves, lace headbands, lace details on dresses, etc.

We shall take a look, briefly, at tendencies of 80s fashion that would help in restoring a romantic retro-image these days.

The plushy velour, which essentially combined the luxurious feel of velvet with the stretchy properties of spandex, was everywhere in 1980s. Foremost designers put out cozy v-neck pullovers made of velour. Velour trousers look elegant and do catch an eye so dress them up with a turtleneck of darker shadow and a small tiny chiffon or silk neckerchief of a colour as similar as possible (or exactly the same). A relative look would be perfect for work on Friday, for attending or giving a lecture, or for doing some business in town. To be on save side, pick gray colour.

Most of dreamy girls of 80s would decorate their hairdos with atlas ribbons, bows and ties. Louder than any average one of those, scrunchies, done up in a sparkling fabric or a bright saturated colour, — kept side ponytails and long hair the right way, and more — started being used as a wrist accessory. The scrunchies are best for wearing them at school or in everyday clothes, with wavy one-side pigtails and a T-shirt with a logo.

Some psychologists claim such an accessory as big circled earrings looks voluptuous. During the 1980s, door-knockers were worn by everyone from pop stars to the girl in the next door. They were perfect on the score of loudness. Through such a feature is the reason for not being used in a romantic retro-image, — you can, however, take them on in order to avoid looking too mawkish in light pink knitted clothes.

A devoted follower of fashion ought to take Lady Gaga’s look, when she interviewed His Holiness Dalai Lama, as a sample and pay attention for the dresses by Hanae Mori. The intelligent and well-educated Japanese designer followed the European tradition in her work and kept on very feminine, smart, refined style, also used simple cut and tiny silk fabrics.

The costume of C.C. Catch for the music video on her song “Nothing but a Heartache” of 1989 may be taken as a precious worthy sample of the romantic style of the late 80s. That image of a girl in love is full of high poetic inspiration. She reminds a bird in her small black dress with tight waist — the movements are soaring, they can be compared with wing-stroke of parotia. And even through she is acting in a desert — she lost in the great ocean of love, as great as this desert with its rare “oases”.

As we made it clear previously, the 1980s was an époque of excess: representatives of the generation preferred catchy models in clothing, very short length of a skirt or pants, too fitting or too fluffy cut. Romantic beauty is a typical style for those days, but it still included wild shoulders and glittering fabrics of bold colours. Some people, engaged in fashion industry, say that fashion tendencies come back in 25 years, so now it is time to think about clap eyes on mom’s old wardrobe.

There is the dust of what the Information Age promised in childhood settled in the corners of collective consciousness of artists, musicians and designers of retro wave. Countless television screens flickered in the neon fog, flaws colored the views of Japanese cities, and horizon turned into a painting of Color Field. Somewhere in that city, a young yuppie, the symbol of a new era, raced on a brand-new Chevrolet Corvette or expensive Ferrari to ultra-modern lonely apartment on high green hills in an elite sleeping area.

Although the 1980s go together with brightness, and for it was a decade of contrasts, as discussed earlier, the image of yuppie was a contrast to the toilettes by Christian Lacroix. Young wealthy people, leading an active secular lifestyle built on passion for careers and material success, began to be called “yuppies” at the beginning of the decade. The”Newsweek” magazine called 1984 the year of yuppie.

We can conditionally identify several subspecies of a luxurious lifestyle: for example, the aristocratic one — this life is lived by people whose profit is not a result of their professional activities, but allows them to do nothing. “Yuppie” is a luxurious lifestyle, but it flows in office and at business meetings.

The external image of most of yuppies, manners, gestures and speech, will write a story of one and tell about the world outlook:

1. Yuppie tolerates random sexual relations before marriage, and adultery as termination of a contract between free equal parties, — that actually does not prevent from recognizing the institution of family.

2. Yuppie is cynical, pragmatic and disdain for less successful people (“losers”). And more, yuppie is apolitical.

3. The most favorite topic for conversation is lack of time. Public talk over illnesses and other problems in the yuppies environment is not accepted, because the conditions of the game require healthy and energetic look.

4. In the yuppies environment, manifesting of envy and hatred is considered to be a destiny of losers and is tabooed completely; open aggression is forbidden as well. The environment has to look friendly and polite. Almost all potential unfriendliness comes down to giving hints — sometimes rude — of misery and failures of an interlocutor, especially based on having personal accessories not expensive enough or modern.

5. For yuppies, it is not peculiar to boast of the suffered crooks in the lot as achievements. They are usually kept in secret. A typical yuppie forgets them quickly, remembering only at the level of reason and cold logic. Long-term emotional fixation in such situations is not yuppies’ trait.

6. Yuppies almost have no concept of “I deserve”. In this case, they do not cause any rejection of the phrase “The early bird gets the worm” understood often as a natural law.

7. Yuppies, as a rule, do not have close friends. Yuppies rarely are immersed in an informal community — motorcyclists, fans of musical styles, role games and historical reconstruction, unorganized tourism and hikes, etc. Such “informals” are often despised by yuppies for “playing the fool”.

8. Two yuppies can make a very strong family couple in view of similar values f both. Nevertheless, for female yuppies, the so-called “serial monogamy” is characteristic — a sequence of several short-lived marriages.

9. Gender roles in the yuppie environment are erased. Classical femininity is not appreciated; classical masculinity is considered senseless and vulgar. Gender plays its role, exclusively, in situations of erotic courtship. Attitudes towards random sexual relations are highly tolerant; they are considered an inevitable side of life.

10. Yuppies are those consumers on which the “consumer society” is based.

A typical respectable yuppie wore a strict and very pricey business suit, in which there was nothing extravagant: no wild colors, no piercing; pants of acceptable width, a shirt of conservative cut and neutral color with an expensive tie, as well as shiny spotless shoes and a handkerchief in the pocket of a jacket. Men preferred double-breasted jackets by Armani or Hugo Boss with huge shoulder pads that, however, through the taboos, made the silhouette manlier. The impression could be softened with flowing textures of fabrics or narrow sparkling ties. This manner of dressing served as a symbol of ambition and expressed an internal life position.

In 1979, for the first time in history, a woman became the prime minister of Great Britain — Margaret Thatcher. From 1981 to 1989, the series “Dynasty” was broadcasted on television. The characters played by Linda Evans and Joanne Collins were the personification of the image of a prosperous woman. In 1988, the movie “Business Girl” appeared on the screens, in which actresses Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver wore clothing in an office style. All this spurred the interest in women’s business clothes. The female yuppies also wore a fitted suit with emphasized square-built shoulders, a short skirt and a smart expensive blouse. The business woman’s suit was a kind of armor in her struggle for equal rights and duties with men in a career and in the life of society. Shoulder pads, borrowed from men’s fashion, made the impression of power and authority and the dream of emancipation to come to reality.

It should be mentioned that the cut of a business suit could be anything in strictness but not a classical one, in no case. A gorgeous image of a yuppie woman can be seen in the photos for the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar US, 1986, also in “Vogue” magazine in July/August, 1982.

Compared with the previous decade, skirt styles varied. Any length and width became possible. There was tulip skirt, layered skirt, skirt on a yoke, a bubble skirt, skirts with buttons, and trouser skirt. They were sewn straight or flared, with folds and without them, with cutouts and wrapovers.

Variety began to manifest in details, previously, having had rather limited forms. Fashion offered huge collars, which were finished with lace, frills and any other trim.

A rather interesting analogy can be cited with comparing yuppies of the 1980s with working women of approximately the same decade of the 19th century. In short, women of those days did all the work, up to the fact that, in the evening, they lighted the lanterns on streets, but, nevertheless, since the time of Napoleon, working women had no right to receive wages themselves —it was received exclusively by their husbands instead of them. With the development of industry and the growth of the urban population in the second half of the nineteenth century, changes in the social structure are associated. With tiny budgets of low- and medium-staged officials, technical workers and employees, a practical, but fashionable costume had become an urgent issue of everyday life. Therefore, the clothes were in dark colours. By the end of the 1870s, there was a skirt without train, which young girls were wearing for the street, and female workers preferred to wear it as everyday clothes. More Fashionable women began to decorate their dresses with starched collars of the male type, cuffs and dandy ties, stabbed with expensive brooches. Simplicity of a suit and modesty of trim symbolized independence and business life of a new social group. This helped the formation of a classic English set: a blouse, a skirt and a jacket. Tournure, which was introduced into fashion in the 1870s, briefly disappeared, and then returned. Thus, in 1880s fashion, duality appeared.

Emancipated women, striving for independence, either did not wear tournure at all, or wore small pads instead, while conservative women preferred old-fashioned designs that hampered their movement. The images of working women in shortened dresses of a simplified silhouette can be seen in the paintings of the salon painters (such as the Italian Giovanni Boldini (“Walking in the Park in Naples”, 1884), or James Tissot (“The Ball”, 1880; “On the Thames”, 1882) and the Impressionists (for example, as Auguste Renoir “Dance at Bougival”, 1883, or Manet “A Bar at the Folies-Bergère”, 1883). Working as housekeepers, flower girls, maid, and mastering “male” professions — such as journalism, women began to demand equality, and at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries the suffragists appeared in the United States of America and in Great Britain, whose movement is considered to be “first-wave feminism“. The “second-wave feminism” is considered as ideas and actions related to the women’s liberation movement, which began to develop since the 1960s and advocated the full legal and social equality of men and women. Completion of this stage fell on the late 1980s and influenced fashion and culture in the yuppie environment, where, as we found out, it was not accepted to emphasize gender differences. Was this an effect or a cause — is a topic for another conversation, more complex and controversial, and, probably, has much less to do with fashion for a costume.

80s fashion, as a whole, ceased to insist on a single product for everyone, and designers started off making clothes not for the whole community, but for an individual who chooses a certain style. The culture of yuppies is a good example, the first one of those we are going to get known later.

Fashion of childhood, thrown back in the 80s, to the melodies of half-forgotten television intros, of ones only shadows remained in memory today, looked back reanimating retro images and weaving them into the aesthetics of youth subcultures. Many of bright images of those days were born under the influence of the cult of a beautiful and healthy body, in the bosom of musical and dance styles, so the models of clothing resembled colourful collages. Mass and elitist, the past and the present intertwined on the “canvases”.

In the 1980s, success was achieved by those who possessed irony and could bring it into their creativity, transforming existent fashion ideas through leading them to grotesque. It was a decade of contrasts.

In the 1980s, the living classic of fashion of Yves Saint Laurent said a prophetic phrase that “we are shining a star which will soon be sunset, and only an accurate line and perfect cut will be able to save us”. The classic models of clothes that Yves Saint Laurent offered were flawlessly elegant, and the colour combinations were refined. In the 70s, the great couturier received many critical remarks about the proposed female tuxedo, but in the next decade his ideas were accepted. Trouser suits and tuxedos had been passing through a “rebirth” for the 80s.

Demonstrative consumer style made the name of a brand the determining factor in choosing clothes. It was so important that fashion-mongers ripped labels with the names of famous brands off from the inner side and changed them to the front side.

Haute couture was an orchestra performing an idle oratorio, and the conductor was Christian Lacroix. In his collections costumes were combined from different eras, Mr. Lacroix combined colours whimsically, textures and patterns. In the late 80s, Lacroix was one of the most desired couturiers. He opened his own couture house in 1987, and before that he worked at Jean Patou. About the style of Christian Lacroix, called “Neo- Baroque”, they said that, like street artists, he mixed up that entire he liked or simply caught his eye. However, haute couture seemed dead when Lacroix breathed new life into it in the 80s.

In the 1980s, a fever in fitness was acquired. The concern of people with their appearance grew into the cult of a beautiful body. The introduction of Lycra made it possible to spread the tight silhouette — leggings, dresses, skirts and bodies. In sports clothes, Lycra was used first by Willy Bogner, in fashionable clothes — by Norma Kamali in the USA and Azzedine Alaïa in France.

Alaïa became a famous designer in the 1980s as the creator of the sexiest clothes. In 1980, a picture of the Depeche Mode group in black leather suits with metal rivets appeared in many magazines. In 1985, he received a prize for the best collection of prêt- à-porter. In addition to leather and Lycra, Alaïa enjoyed working with jersey. His famous jersey dress-cases fitted the body like a second skin.

Success came to Thierry Mugler in 1979. His collection had an enormous impact on fashion. Structural models with accentuated broad shoulders, thin waists and rounded hips defined the silhouette of the 80’s. The models by Mugler were characterized by overt sexuality and cold sensuality.

Claude Montana created similar images — his models were inherent in androgynous sexuality. This thread passed through the fashion of the 1980s: the images were embodied by Grace Jones, Annie Lennox, Boy George, and Michael Jackson.

In the 80’s, Giorgio Armani’s career flourished. He was not only a talented creator of “expensive restraint”, but also a very successful entrepreneur. In 1981, the Italian designer played on the enthusiasm of elite for sporting lifestyle and the desire to look young at any age. A youth line “Emporio Armani” and “Armani Jeans” have been added to lines of clothing “Giorgio Armani” and “Armani Privé”.

Jean-Paul Gaultier used deliberate chaos and excessive dynamics of forms in his work, also saturated colour contrasts, and brought fashion ideas to absurdity or outright ugliness with the usage combination of incompatible pieces. The High-tech collection (autumn / winter 1980-1981), made in a hooligan style, introduced Gaultier among the recognized avant-garde artists of French fashion. The Dadaism collection spring / summer of 1983 was a real sensation which strengthened Gauthier’s fame as an unpredictable French couturier. This collection had the famous style of dresses cut like corsets. Collections of men’s clothing by Gautier became the most striking symbol of the tendency to rub out the boundaries between the sexes in the era of postmodernism. In 1987, he met with Madonna in Paris and joint in making stage costumes for her. Huge popularity of Madonna made the corset style of Gauthier world famous. In 1979 Jean-Paul Gaultier released the James Bond collection (spring-summer 1980) in which he presented mini skirts, leather shorts and waistcoats.

In 1983, Franco Moschino founded the eponymous brand. Collections created under the slogan “If you can not be elegant, become extravagant” were distinguished with bright colours, usage of logos as prints, and combinations of different materials in one outfit.

In 1984, Jean-Louis Dumas, CEO of Hermès International S.A., released the first model of the Birkin bag. At the women’s Dolls collection spring-summer 1986 models of Jean-Paul Gaultier came to the podium in black satin underwear and stockings. In the mid-1980s, Azzedine Alaïa created the famous tight-fitting dress with a cloak around her head for Grace Jones.

In Europe and the United States, Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Kenzō Takada and Rei Kawakubo became popular. They questioned all the existing values. They offered clothes of geometric shapes, kimono sleeves, and sharp colour combinations. They created a baggy fashion hiding the body. That was their unique novelty, which had never been in Western fashion before. Priority was the feeling of comfort and freedom.

Issey Miyake became the first fashion designer from the country of the rising sun who was recognized in Paris. He released his debut collection in 1963. The very first models created by Miyake shocked the public. It was difficult to classify him as a follower of Western fashion, but he could hardly be called a standard oriental designer either. His clothes were fundamentally new. From the Japanese costume traditions, the designer borrowed the desire for comfort and universalism, as well as the principle of multilayeredness and a free, wide cut. Miyake is fascinated with such geometric figures as a rectangle, a square and a circle. This fashion designer likes to use padding, as well as corrugated fabrics, to create origami clothing, which consists of folds and bends. Miyake is a fierce opponent of fasteners (zippers, straps, etc); in his opinion, they fetter the movement.

When Miyake develops new clothes, he never thinks about fashion trends. He prefers to create something of his own. Although his work influences fashion and work of many other designers. For example, in 1986 he opened a store in Tokyo that he called “Permanent”. It sold the clothes of the same name line of the Miyake’s brand, and there it was possible to find the goods both from the latest collection and from earlier ones. Issey puts his work above time and fashion, so his style is close to many artists. His admirers include Miles Davis — a famous jazz musician, and Robert Rauschenberg — an artist who works in the direction of pop art.

In 1988, Issey launched the work of his new brand, which was named “Pleats Please” and in 1993 brought his owner the Order of the Legion of Honour, as well as a doctorate at the Royal College of Art in London. In creation of clothes, a neoteric technology of pleating materials was used. Issey Miyake himself invented it. The designer offered to put the ready clothes between two paper layers, and then press it with using heat. After this procedure, the fabric retained its folds, and it turned out an original, beauteous and practical product. These clothes did not need to be ironed, but one could regularly wash in a typewriter. These models were perfect for taking them on a trip.

The name of Kenzō Takada is attributed to appearance of elements of Japanese national costume in the Western world of postmodernism and the fashion to the Japanese style.  By the end of the 70’s Kenzō’s shop turned into one of the most fashionable places in the French capital. In the 80’s, he amazed the audience with his enchanting fashion shows. For example, once, in 1981, the designer surprised spectators with covering the whole square of Place des Victoires with a canvas and strewing it with sequins. The fashion designer did not leave any landmark place in all of Paris without his attention. Next to the castle in Bordeaux, Kenzō installed tents; he decorated the Pont Neuf Bridge with thousands of flowers. Catwalks were held on the hill of Trocadéro, in the famous building of exchange, the Parisian circus, the D’Orsay museum, and even the train station.

In 1983, Kenzō announced the launch of the men’s clothing line of his brand. All models were made in exalted colours, and generously decorated with all kinds of patterns. In combination with striped trousers, Kenzō offered wearing a severely cut jacket, strewn with colourful flowers. In 1984, Kenzō Takada was awarded the honourary Order of Arts and Literature from the French Government, and was solemnly knighted, and in 1988 the first flavour was produced under the brand “Kenzō”.

Rei Kawakubo is known as art director of Comme des Garçons. In 1980, the Japanese designer moved to Paris. In 1981 she presented her collection at the Fashion Week. Clothes of asymmetric cut were sewn from black, gray and beige fabrics. The collection received mixed reviews: some critics called it “the apotheosis of absurdity”, and others — “a blow to the stamps”. In 1982, Rei Kawakubo became a member of the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode (Trade association of ready-to-wear of couturiers and fashion designers). In 1983, Rei Kawakubo was awarded the “Mainichi Newspaper Award” from the newspaper “Mainichi”. In 1987, “Journal du Textile” called her the best designer.

The creative position of Rei Kawakubo is rejection of generally accepted standards. The designer does not have affection for a certain form, material, type of fabric. Models of clothing created by Rei Kawakubo in different seasons are very different from each other. The designer’s features are elements of deconstructionism: uneven hemlines, slanting seams, elongated sleeves, inverted pockets, deformed fabrics and so on. Rei Kawakubo admits that she hates symmetry.

Images of the collections by Rei Kawakubo can be romantic and tough at once. Dome call the designer’s work “antimode”, but others, for instance, Ann Demeulemeester and Martin Marcel, talk about her “exclusivity in the fashion world”. According to Rei Kawakubo, her work is creating the things that have never existed.

Different brands were popular in different social classes. Many popular designers of the last decades of the 20th century were born in its first half, and significant, right steps on the way to success began mainly in the 60-70s. Based on the above, we can see that their ideas were readily accepted in the 1980s — in a decade of contrasts, when the world was wanted something new. The ideas of Japanese designers, famous European couturiers perfectly fitted into the aesthetics of the new decade, about which we will keep on talking.

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Neon Through Eons: from 1980s to this day

Fluorescent pink, light green, electric blue and cold silver are just some of the colors that marked the 80s but it seems that they keep coming back to our utmost pleasure.

If we take a look at the contemporary trends we can help but notice a strong influence of neon colors that were all the rage back in the day, especially in the late 80s. The history repeats indeed and it’s one of those universal truths that also applies to fashion, given that neon trends keep persisting a last couple of seasons. The only things that change, however, are celebrities sporting them as well as inevitable reinventions of fashion styles and cuts of course.

Then – Madonna

desperately seeking susan

The fashion icon keeps introducing new and bold trends, even to this very day. And even though Madonna’s current style could be described as more geometrical and inclined to darker colors and edgy fabrics, it was all about neon back in the day. It’s worth mentioning that the diva never exaggerated in terms of combining neon pieces. A little bit of flashy pink here, a hint of electric blue there and there’s no danger of being mixed up for a scoreboard. Atta girl!

Now – Lady Gaga

Even if we entirely disregard the fact that Gaga’s stage originates from Queen’s undying hit, there are still so many retro influences both in Gaga’s visual style and music that one must be blind not to notice them. She might have entered a somewhat reduced phase now, but she has gone through a ton of experiments with various fabrics, cuts and neon colors that truly made a great statement about her unique personality.

Then – Prince

During his 80s phase the legendary singer cherished a unique style that consisted of baroque shirts and jackets that came in strong neon colors… Except for when he was shirtless of course!

Now – Katy Perry

Now, this is a true 80s gal that offers a great material for the case study on how to combine neon pieces perfectly. On the other hand, it seems that her love extends to spandex and lycra as well. In words of Bill and Ted: Excellent!

Then – Whitney Houston

Whitney was more than just a drop-dead gorgeous lady, she was an exceptional musical talent whose death is still mourned all around the globe. Her neon makeup choices back in the day can really tell that a beautiful face is always beautiful, regardless of the color choices.

Now- Nicky Minaj

It is even hard to imagine Nicky in anything other than neon – from hair and makeup to provocative outfits that basically became her personal signature!

Then – Paul Stanley

Kiss really rocked during the 80s. This was the time when they decided to leave the prevalent black and white combos behind and wash off the makeup from their faces, which resulted in some pretty excessive neon clothing choices, additionally “enhanced” with tons of pearls and sequins. Some might hate it but we retro lovers find it quite interesting.

Now – Kelly Osbourne

Ozzy’s daughter went through some really different phases and ultimately become one of the fashion influencers of today. And if she says that neon is okay, who are we to judge?

Then – Boy George

According to Culture Club’s timeless hit, karma is a chameleon, but so is the frontmen of the band, a famous Boy George, at least in the terms of the multiple colors and neon new wave makeup he was wearing fearlessly at the same time.

Now – Leona Lewis

A hot singer really knows how to strut her stuff, especially when wearing a cropped neon corset paired up with a deep waist tight skirt and we can’t help but to approve.

Then – Olivia Newton-John

Everyone wanted to get physical with Olivia and we firmly believe this neon outfit is to blame!

Now – Jessie J

Blue overalls in combination with goldish black jacket with discreet but noticeable shoulderpads? It is called retro where we come from!

What do you think of our list? Did we forget to mention someone? Feel free to spill your thoughts in the comment section below!

On the other hand, Robert Palmer was addicted to love, The Human League justified the epithet in their title, Madonna asked her papa not to preach while Falco begged the late Amadeus for some rock. This all leads us to an inevitable conclusion that 1986 was a one of a kind marker in the epoque of excess; a sort of a breaking point when various energies collided and thus resulted in some pretty awesome artistic creations. So, what about fashion, some might ask? Well, the popular garbs at the time definitely weren’t falling behind the movies and songs either. Moreover, they rather represented a perfect addition to the rich cinematographic and musical diversity. So, without a further ado, we hereby present you with top 6 essential fashion pieces that were all the rage in 1986.

1.    Ray-Ban sunglasses

Thanks to already mentioned Tom Cruise’s role in the classic film achievement Top Gun, the sales of now iconic classic aviator model raised for mind-blowing 40% . Moreover, it has continued to inspire numerous fashion designers even to this day and now a pair of aviators is simply a must in everyone’s accessory collection. So, if you want to look like you’ve just come out of the Danger zone and are 100 % ready to rock, this could be a great retro yet modern addition to your outfit.

Top Gun on GIPHY

2. Cropped tanks and tops

Sherilyn Fenn strutted her stuff like a pro and showed us a true meaning of 80’s sex appeal while rocking a cropped tank in the 1986’s The Wraith, side by side with notorious Charlie Sheen. There is definitely something about 80s chicks with long legs, deep lycra miniskirts and cropped tanks that is simply irresistible, wouldn’t you agree?

3. Leather and more leather

The first thing that comes to our mind is a notorious Cobra aka Sylvester Stallone donning a leather jacket, denim pants and a pair of awesome aviators while protecting an exotic European hottie such as Bridget Nielsen. They eventually ended up being married in a real life but there’s no wonder – not really – since this outfit and its respective variations continue to break ladies’ hearts even today, regardless of they are into 80s fashion or not!

Cobra (1986 Film)

4.Powersuits

Even one of the covers of ‘86 Elle magazine featured an image of a strong, independent woman proudly wearing a powersuit, looking like she’s basically ready to conquer the Wall street and to fully compete with her male counterparts. The powersuits mostly consisted of deep waist pants and jackets with huge shoulder pads that were tailored for women who exactly knew what they want from their lives.

Grace Jones

5. Shoulder pads

The magical and dazzling world of Labyrinth was a true depiction of Bowie’s 80s phase at its finest. Even the fantasy costumes got designed in a way to be in accordance with our favorite era. It’s was both Bowie’s iconic haircut and powerful shoulder pads he put on that really made impression but also caught the hearts of the fandom in the labyrinth of devotion (pun intended!).

Labyrinth (1986 Film)

6. Aerobic gear

Even though a well-known Flashdance that celebrated the beauty of 80s hardbody got out three years earlier, in 1983, it appears that popularity of aerobic gear reached a peak of its popularity precisely in 1986. This Crystal light national aerobic championship video that got out in ‘86 clearly demonstrates that leg warmers, headbands and tricots were designed in a way to truly enhance a “flexappeal”!

What do you think of our choices? Do you think we missed something? Don’t be afraid to share your opinion in the comment section below!