‘LET’S HAVE FUN!’ SWANKY MODES ON A LOST GOLDEN AGE FOR YOUNG DESIGNERS

ASTHETIK MAGAZINE TAKES A WALK WITH THE DESIGNERS OF SWANKY MODES, A FASHION COLLECTIVE MARKING FIFTY YEARS OF MAKING. LUCY BRUNNER TELLS US MORE.

Written By Lucy Brunner

In 1973, a group of fashion graduates decided to open a boutique for fun. Over half a century later, the four women behind Swanky Modes reunited at London’s Warehouse Market to spill all on this golden age for young creatives. Asthetik Magazine spoke with the designers as they led a Fashion History Walk to the old store.
 

Yes, you read that right…fifty years ago, the path for fresh fashion grads was as simple as ‘let’s have fun’. London was a creative mecca for emerging designers, and passion alone was enough to fuel budding careers. "You didn’t worry about the future, you didn’t worry about money", said Melanie Haberfield, one of the four women behind revolutionary fashion collective Swanky Modes. 

The boutique was established in 1972 after Haberfield spotted the space for just £7 a week (approx. £100 today). "There was no rhyme or reason to it", said Haberfield, as colleague Esme Young chimed in: "We just couldn't find anything we wanted to wear in shops, so we made it". 

Their desire to innovate quickly made them fabric pioneers - Swanky Modes was one of the first labels to use Lycra in high fashion. "Lycra was only used for swimming costumes, but we just thought, what a great fabric to make nightwear for a disco", said Haberfield. Their notorious ‘amorphous’ Lycra dress is now on display at the V&A.

No fabric was off-limits for the designers, who even made a coat collection out of shower curtains: ‘we just found the rolls, and we liked the rolls, and we bought them’. It was a chance discovery with huge success; the concept was beloved by photographer Helmut Newton, who got them a four-page feature in Nova magazine. Willie Walters, who later became the Fashion Programme Director at Central Saint Martins, reflected on the process: "We went to various magazines to show our stuff, and when we got to Nova, we saw Caroline Baker, who was a legendary fashion editor. She saw Esme’s drawings [of the coats], and she said, “Oh, Helmut Newton is dying to do pictures of plastic macs, particularly naked girls.” And then they did it! Four pages in Nova, which is unheard of now".

This 1973 Nova feature was Swanky Modes’ big break, and the designers quickly became a favourite among industry heavyweights like Cher, Vogue, and Vivienne Westwood. "We had people coming into the shop to find out what we were doing, and Vivienne used to ask us what we were doing when she was in between collections," Haberfield recalled.

Today, the Swanky Modes story seems almost like a fairytale. Young creatives are rarely fast-tracked to fame by major photographers or powerhouse publications, and it’s a short-lived success for the lucky few. "Emerging labels have faced rising operating costs and falling appetite for risk among would-be investors", said Joan Kennedy in Business of Fashion. 

Another barrier? "The change in London", said Haberfield. "I mean, we paid almost nothing for our first shop (a Camden store today would reach £1000+ per week). It was when we had no money at all. We just bought old fabric, and there wasn’t the pressure that there is today. We just wanted to have fun." 

And, whilst Swanky Modes inspired high-fliers like Vivienne Westwood, today’s designers are instead plagued by fast fashion copycats, unable to capitalise on their own creations. It therefore seems fitting that the quartet reunited at the London Warehouse Market, a three-day installation which brought together emerging artists, designers, and publishers to share and sell their work, with emphasis on sustainable design production. The event was co-curated by Dr Tanveer Ahmed, senior lecturer at Central Saint Martins, and Lottie McCrindell, curator at Textus Network, in collaboration with Warehouse Amsterdam.

For more information on Swanky Modes or Warehouse Amsterdam, click here.