NEW ROMANTICISM

The New Romantics was a fashion movement that peaked in the UK in the 1980's. It was often associated with the The Wave music scene. Typically wearing heavily embellished clothing, dramatic make-up, extravagant fabrics, elegance and finery.

(Visage - Fade to Grey)

The movement is said to have developed out of David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust and Roxy Music nights, which was run during 1978 in  nightclub Billy's based in London. Due to the vast growing popularity of the event it was forced to relocate to a Wine bar in Great Queen street, Covent Garden. The organisers, Steve Strange and Rusty Egan from the band Visage,  ran an event every tuesday called "Club for Heroes" where people would dress as crazily and uniquely as they could to attract the most attention.

The club was known for it's strict dress code and door policy. If you didn't make enough effort with your style you could easily be refused. Blitz was a very important part of the movement inspiring many people. Boy George (before Culture Club) even worked as a cloakroom attendant at Blitz. 

(Visage outside The Blitz Club 1980)

(Membership Card for The Blitz Club)

(George O'Dowd and Stephen Linard at Heaven in 1980 by David Johnson)

New Romanticism stems from Punk and Glam Rock combining androgynous style with heavy make-up. The clothing was based on English Romantic themes such as frilly shirts, luxury fabrics, clowns, puritans, Russian constructivism, 1930's Cabaret and in Adam and the Ants case, it seems Pirates. 

Soon after they began to gain mainstream attention, however, many New Romantic bands dropped the eclectic clothes and makeup in favour of sharp suits that echoed Bowie's Thin White Duke image.

(Stars of the Blitz in 1980: George O’Dowd, Kim Bowen, Julia Fodor, Lee Sheldrick. Photographed by Derek Ridgers)

(Blitz club-goer Myra and fashion designer Michelle Clapton modelling for Stephen Linard’s neo-gothic collection at St Martins, May 1980.) 

(Theresa Thurmer, at the Blitz Club, 1980)

(Boy George and Stephen Linard)