The influence of the 1960s was big at London Fashion Week. A new generation is discovering the decade of youthful rebellion, writes Deirdre McQuillan.
At London Fashion Week, the newly revived Biba, a name that once defined the 1960s, made its debut under the guidance of Bella Freud, Zandra Rhodes made a zany return to the catwalk and pictures of Twiggy in M&S were everywhere. At a time when fashion is so persistently retrospective, revisiting a time of youthful rebellion and unrestrained creativity has its own curiosity factor for a new generation.
The once-shocking thigh-high minis, emblematic of the 1960s, are today's everyday urban street wear. Styles of dress matched styles of music, another continuing trend. In contrast to the 1950s, when teenagers dressed twice their age, the new look was childish and waif-like, emphasised by long legs, black eyeliner and bouffant hair.
Sarah Doyle captures some of the essence of its freshness and modernity in these pictures shot in Wicklow. The graphic prints and tweeds, the body-conscious shapes, the tunic dresses and funky tights, all familiar elements of the time, have their echoes in the new season's sparky styles.