Beautiful People : The Boutique In 1960s Counterculture—A New Exhibition At The Fashion & Textile Museum Of London
1 October 2021 – 13 March 2022 “We were young, rich and beautiful, and the tide – we thought – was turning in our favour. We were going to change everything, of course, but mostly we were going to change the rules.” – Marianne Faithfull.
In the mid-1960s a handful of Chelsea boutiques sparked a fashion revolution.
Freed and fuelled by creative exploration and experimentation, they began selling radical clothing to the counterculture youth.
Their outrageously flamboyant designs were inspired by romantic ideas of the past; Byron-esque frilled shirts were paired with Regency brocades and plush velvet trousers were mixed with influences from Morocco and the Far East.
They blurred gender boundaries with increasingly androgynous styles, creating an explosion of colour, pattern and decoration.
Beautiful People explores fabulous and rare examples from these era-defining stores and designers, examining the shared free spirit of Granny Takes A Trip, Hung On You, Apple, Biba, Mr Fish, Thea Porter, Ossie Clark and more.
Designs worn by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix will be displayed as part of recreations of these iconic boutiques.
About The Fashion & Textile Museum
The Fashion and Textile Museum is the only museum in the UK dedicated to showcasing contemporary fashion and textile design.
The Museum is committed to presenting varied, creative and engaging exhibitions, alongside an exciting selection of educational courses, talks, events and workshops.
In place of a permanent collection is a diverse programme of temporary exhibitions, displaying a broad range of innovative fashion and textiles from designers and makers around the world.
The Fashion and Textile Museum was founded in 2003, by icon of British design, Dame Zandra Rhodes. Today, the Museum is operated by Newham College, London – one of Europe’s largest further education colleges.
Situated in the heart of fashionable Bermondsey Village, the Museum is housed in a beautiful and distinctive building, designed by renowned Mexican architect, Ricardo Legorreta.
The Fashion and Textile Museum Collection highlights the changing face of contemporary fashion from 1947 to the present day.
All items in the Collection relate to the design and production of fashion and textiles, with a number of key garments from designers including Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Biba, Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood.
Pieces from the Museum Collection feature regularly in our programme of exhibitions, practical workshops and history of fashion lectures, although the Museum Collection is not on permanent public display.
The Fashion and Textile Museum Collection also provides an invaluable resource for students of fashion, textiles and tailoring, as well as cultural history.
It is possible for researchers to conduct private study of pieces in the Collection by prior appointment, subject to availability.
The Fashion and Textile Museum is also very pleased to lend pieces from the Collection to other institutions.
