The magic of the 1960s and ’70s was the youthful flower power movement promoting peace and a non-violence ideology. Channelled into fashion with the use of symmetrical petals, these vintage floral screen prints may remind you of other things that aren’t fashion. Maybe your nan’s bedroom wallpaper (or the bathroom for me)! Nevertheless, these are still iconic prints. The hippy folk of the time encompassed an identity of peace that people in this movement needed to articulate through forms of protest, by using their clothes as an expression to enhance their point of view.
When thinking of this era, bell-bottoms and the craze for disco were the iconic must-wears of the decade. What was great about this moment in time was that women and men shared their love for specific silhouettes within fashion. Bell-bottoms being a big part of this. It wasn’t about what women could wear and men couldn’t or vice versa. It was about the common love and passion they had for trends then, including platform shoes. Being flamboyant and theatrical in their clothes was a part of the culture and is something we see more of today. We have ABBA to thank from the later part of the ’70s. Twiggy and Mary Quant from the early part of the ’60s, and David Bowie for a lifetime.
Words — Freya Reeves
