I will always read anything about Fashion. The word 'Fashioning', though, that got me thinking about who designed for the Beatles, how fashion shaped them, how they expressed themselves and their music through fashion and how we all were influenced. Theirs were truly, "The Looks That Shook The World." I can remember seeing their first performance on Ed Sullivan and thinking how different they were: there were 4, they all played and sang, they looked at each other and moved around, they had long hair, a sort of bob cut that I thought would be hard to copy, and although they wore suits, these were much different than the traditional ones the older stars wore. Pants were uncuffed and tight and right to the top of those heeled Beatle boots. They seemed younger, wrote their own songs (although they sang some my parents liked) and were famous Brits, bringing a bigger world to us. Eventually, they popularized an explosion of colour, psychedelic designs, bell bottomed pants, frilled shirts, embroidery, collarless shirts and jackets, velvets and corduroys and our look, not our parents' conservative styles.
It was a lovely, new to me, Indie Bookstore: Cross & Crows Books at 2836 Commercial, that invited us to FASHIONING THE BEATLES: DEIRDRE KELLY AND IVAN SAYERS, November 16, 2023, that caught my eye. Please see my instagram reel of the evening via my Instagram here.Then I went to ivansayersevents.com and knew that he would be bringing Beatles clothing from his extensive collectionand telling stories of how he attended their first Vancouver concert and the provenance of each piece of clothing, where he found it and where it fits into the Beatles history. I also knew that Claus Jahnke would bring German memorabilia, very fitting, since the Beatles really gained a lot of stage experience on the Hamburg circuit, where they had to "mach schau" or "make show" (P 16). They were also greatly influenced by Astrid Kirchherr, who encouraged them all to wear the same look: black leather, and to change hair styles from greased back to shaggy forehead covering French style that the Germans called "mushroom head" (P 21). Note that George brought in the cowboy boots from Ontario (Canadian connection) and German made cowboy boots for all, completed the "coffee bar cowboy look(P 20). That was at the beginning of their career, and the beginning of an emphasis of being unique in dress, stage performance, and song writing. As a teen-ager, I felt they were speaking to me and I very much enjoyed the Beatles' example of expressing individual style and story.
I vividly remember 'the British Invasion' and how new businesses, like Bad Boys Rag Shop, brought new choices here. The rise of a younger market was evident in major department stores like Hudson's Bay, which had a Teen Fashion Council and newsletter (see last photo). This is why the book, FASHIONING THE BEATLES, resonates. The Beatles, in all of their evolutions, were a major innovation in every aspect: Fashion, Music, Performance, and that push for self development and expression. Fashioning them, though took many mentors and a lot of work and time before they became the influencers that they continue to be. Extensive research and black and white photos, many new to us, so bring the Beatles right back to us. Here is a photo of the chapters that so detail the progression of the Beatles, from leather, to mop top to mod, retro and beyond.
Deirdre Kelly, is a wonderful speaker and writer! Her book, with its focus on Fashion and Fashioning, is a collection of the best photos and an extremely well documented encyclopedia (all in one) of how the Beatles were fashioned and how they used their own tastes and talents to develop their Brand. More here: deirdrekelly.com or Instagram at kellydeirdre.
Just want to say that a little bookstore, Cross & Crows Books, 2836 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, hosted a fine evening with Deirdre Kelly and FASHIONING THE BEATLES: The Looks That Shook The World. We all look forward to more fabulous books and events like this one. So get this treasure, there. And always developing, leading and supporting Vancouver Fashion events, with their collections, thanks to Ivan Sayers and Claus Jahnke for bringing the past to our present.
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