The London Shoot: The Puzzle of the Past
Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash
What was New York City like at the time of Charivari?
What was the American fashion status quo?
How did the Weiser’s decide to open new stores? How were they able to foresee trends and choose fashion designers? Who were these chosen designers? What set them apart from the rest? And what did the British designers bring to Charivari?
These are just some of the pieces we endeavor to fit together and present in a retrospective context... and it is no easy task to Indubitably solve the puzzle of one of America’s most successful family run retail companies.
It’s all worthy of the attention of Sherlock Holmes, or the persistence of James Bond and the lengths he’ll go to trackdown his adversaries!
Unbeknownst to us at the time, we situated our accommodation and production office in a Turkish enclave within the borough of Hackney, 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Central London. Actually considered in "East" London, and one of the host boroughs of the London Olymics held back in 2012, with several of the venues falling within its boundaries.
We began by using the implements of the WWD, DNR, New York Times and Paper Magazine for research, followed a false lead, and approached several of the British designers featured in the stores.
The False Lead
John Smedley is a case in point. It was either something that someone said, or a mistake in a magazine article, that lead us to the historic John Smedley. Established in 1784, it is the oldest manufacturing factory in the world, crafting beautiful, high quality knitwear (they've produced knitwear for Katharine Hamnett and Paul Smith to name a few)... Not at liberty to surmise their participation in the history of Charivari's private labels, we contacted their head designer Pip Jenkins, and head archivist, Jane Middleton-Smith who ultimately confirmed their inability to find any record of the firm having produced any knitwear for the retailer. We were very grateful for their efforts.
The film Studio
A landmark for us was passed on this shoot, it was the first time we rented a studio in which to shoot our interviews - A special thanks goes out to Chris Birney for donating this wonderful opportunity, and for believing in us!
Using the studio and its facilities allows us to achieve higher production values for our shoots. For example, up until now we’ve rented spaces with beautiful and varied backdrops; however, a studio provides a controlled space. A space where we can manipulate the lighting and help us capture our subjects in a dance between light and shadow, ultimately enhancing the look of the film we are trying to make.
The Bond with the British
Although Charivari carried the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Jasper Conran, Paul Smith, Culture Shock and Betty Jackson. Three designers stood-out for us, Katharine Hamnett & the duo behind what was arguably the most influential fashion label in 80s Britain, Bodymap - David Holah and Stevie Stewart. They represent aspects of a British sensibility evident in their labels necessary for our story, and a topicality for fashion's future.
We were also most fortunate to get the transatlantic talent, New York Icon & designer Dianne Brill.
We arrived in London knowing that these fashion labels were bold, progressive and offered statements through design which were worn on a global stage through video music television - the eras' new medium of youth.
Remarkably, we were invited to interview Katharine Hamnett at her atelier in Hackney, which incidentally, she was the first piece of our U.K. puzzle, the first designer to join our UPROAR in London.
The Irrepressible Katharine Hamnett
Katharine Hamnett is the designer who devised the T-shirt with CHOOSE LIFE emblazoned across George Michael’s chest in the music video of WHAM’s first international hit, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
Katharine Hamnett lives it - she lives her activism... sometimes to her professional detriment. And after closing her business once, not too long ago, launching her label the second time around‘s the charm, laying the foundation right and responsibly this time. Gone are the reckless and ignorant practices of fashion because all the information one needs to know about sustainable, slow fashion is digitally at our fingertips; virtually it's all around us.
Interestingly, she spoke about the irreplaceable excitement and feel of a live Fashion Week event, while at the same time repented the CO2 emissions that all attendees contribute to our atmosphere flying to host cities whether to participate in, or to take-in a show.
During the shoot she not only shared her personal history in design with us, but also, at the conclusion of the interview, she excitedly fit the crew with her latest controversial chest bearing slogan! Proving yet again that her label now represents how fashion design can become more than a tool of consumerism.
Bodymap: David Holah & Stevie Stewart
We tracked down the duo behind Bodymap, brought them to the studio and detained them on a fine Sunday afternoon for quite a while. And they were a wonder to behold! Decked out in their Bodymap gear, it was easy to see how the label became the London label of the 80s. They also brought a treasure trove of memorabilia and materials documenting their relationship with Charivari!
And there’s more to come, as they are working on a project to recapture their heyday in the world of fashion design... as they say, watch this space, we’ll keep you “posted.”
The Shape of the Nineties: Dianne Brill
In true form, Dianne lived up to her title of Queen of the Night as her interview lasted for almost two hours, up until almost 11:00pm. In addition to learning the origin of her New Millionnaires Club label carried by Charivari, her riveting interview took us through her days & nights of clubbing and hanging out with some of the last century’s creative people - artists, writers, and photographers. You name them, she knew them, and she knew them well. Her personal experiences of spending time with Basquiat, Warhol, Haring and Mapplethorpe are eye-opening, history capturing gems we are grateful to have documented.
In our London shoot we captured a sense of the British aesthetic, their eccentric playfulness and design motivation... and so the story goes on as we continue to solve the puzzle, uncover the stories, the history, the times of Charivari.
Again our special thanks goes out to Our Faithful Crew:
Trevor Zhou – Cinematographer
Mark Joyce – Assistant Camera
Curt Soul – Assistant Camera
Sean Byrnes - Sound
Katy Nannestad - Hair/Make-up
Tanya Cabral - Key PA
Delia Racheru - Camera PA
Dylan Cascoe - Transportation
And Thanks to our Interview Subjects: For sharing your time and participating—candidly in our film. For all of your anecdotes & all sorts!
Katharine Hamnett, David Holah, Stevie Stewart, Dianne Brill
Photo by Jared Verdi on Unsplash
*SAVE THE DATE!
The 2nd New York Shoot—Fri Nov 2nd, Sat Nov 3rd & Sun Nov 4th
Thanks to your support, we are now more able to plan our next shoot.
If you will be in the New York City area and would like to be part of our production, please contact us via this website. Provide your full name, email address and telephone number.
D-Source Note: The 3 day shoot will only be comprised of around 15 interview subjects.
If you are not selected as a participant for our 2nd New York shoot, we will be sure to keep your details on file. And as we continue to raise funds and set dates for subsequent shoots, we’ll contact you with the pertinent information.