ALL YOU NEED...
- Sherrys London
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
1967 - the summer of love, exotic prints, the Beatles, and a new way forward for flamboyant fashion - take a look at the inspiration behind our latest collection.
If the first wave of Mod had brought technicolour to foggy London the hazy summer of 1967 had made the swinging streets of the capital positively
kaleidoscopic.Paisley and floral patterns - once the ‘must-have’ print of the Victorian upper and middle classes - enjoyed a second coming in the mid 60’s. The pattern emblematic of British wealth and taste had been co-opted by subcultural forces and became a statement of non-conformity.
Key cultural mobilisers and bands such as The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and The Small Faces - once of the stripped-back, straight-lined mould of modernism - were turning to something new. Indian philosophy and music, anti-war sentiments, and a desire for the hedonistic, influenced by new mind-expanding substances, was expressed through their artistic output and demonstrated by a newly flamboyant mode of dress. The fashion world followed suit.
Carnaby Street was the place to shop for the latest paisley fashions. Cultural icons and the ‘in the know’ fashion crowd swarmed to the fifteen Carnabitain boutiques run by the legendary John Stephen, and soon the once grey London was awash with colour. The Peacock Revolution was in full swing, and for the first time men were enabled to wear bold patterns including flashy spirited paisley prints.
The London look of 1967 still followed the principles of sharp cut and quality fabric rooted in its’ Mod origins. Meanwhile, across the pond, the ‘hippie’ look witnessed most prominently during the San Franciscan ‘Summer of Love,’ saw a total abandonment of conformity, and the use of paisley patterns and other fabrics were a visual statement of counter-cultural principle.
On Sunday 25 June 1967, the first live multinational, multi-satellite television production was broadcast, during which The Beatles debuted All You Need is Love - an anthem for counter-cultural expressions of flower power philosophy. Their set design featured political placards and a heavy use of flora and fauna. Carrying on this sentiment, the fab four could only be wearing one thing – paisley – picked up on their recent travels to India. With the performance broadcast beamed to 700 million homes, paisley was assuredly established as a cultural fashion icon and has been a staple in any discerning wardrobe ever since.
We produced our first in-house SHERRY'S first in-house paisley shirt in the early 1980's, debuting it in our original boutique just off Carnaby. They were a huge success, and was swiftly followed by paisley jackets, scarves and other accessories. The latest collection takes direct inspiration from the 1967 Summer of Love, with particular emphasis on the Beatles' larger, more exuberant details. Our principles remain the same, with a commitment to quality cut and fabric, with the washable silk all woven in Yorkshire and the shirts themselves put together by our tailor in London.
Words - Conor Franchetti
Photography - Jennifer Austin
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