Outlaws

Fashion Renegades of Leigh Bowery's 1980s London

Martin Green, NJ Stevenson

$69.99

Hardback

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English

Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd
14 February 2025

Individual artists, art monographs; Individual designers; Theatre: technical & background skills; Film, TV & Radio; Other performing arts

'Dress as though your life depends on it or don't bother.' (Leigh Bowery, 1985)

Outlaws pays homage to the boundary-pushing fashion and styling that defined London's vibrant 1980s club scene, celebrating the anarchic energy and experimental flair of Leigh Bowery and his fellow fashion renegades, who pioneered a unique and daring creative movement.

Bowery, an Australian-born performance artist and fashion designer, was the central figure of this movement, and he and his circle of friends sparked an explosion of outrageous fashion. Outlaws features specially commissioned photography of original outfits crafted by 28 trailblazing clothes designers, including John Galliano, Stephen Linard, Bodymap, Pam Hogg, Rachel Auburn, Wayne Hemingway and Bowery himself.

These are accompanied by interviews with icons of 1980s clubland such as musician Holly Johnson, DJ Mark Moore and artists Peter Doig and Dave Baby, while stories from those who wore the pieces are entwined with clubland flyers and rarely seen photos of the styling on show at clubs such as Taboo, the legendary weekly club night Bowery founded in 1985 in Leicester Square.

The scene also encompassed art, photography, film and music and was a vibrant marker in LGBTQ+ history. It forged a creative community of people who together influenced and changed the landscape of British popular culture in the mid-1980s. Outlaws pays homage to their remarkable talents.

By: Martin Green, NJ Stevenson
Imprint: Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 276mm, Width: 216mm,
Weight: 568g
ISBN: 9781785516016
ISBN 10: 1785516019
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 14 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Martin Green was a regular on the 1980s club circuit and went on to run the legendary nightclub Smashing in the early 90s. He is co-curator of the exhibition Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London with NJ Stevenson, which opens at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London in October 2024. Green has compiled 30 albums and has a show on Soho Radio. He has co-ordinated fashion show music for Katherine Hamnett, Pringle and Pucci and has DJ’d at events for Pulp, Prada and Paul McCartney. NJ Stevenson began her fashion curatorial career in 2008 and has since worked on many projects with venues including the Fashion and Textile Museum, where she is co-curating Outlaws with Martin Green. Stevenson is widely published and is a lecturer at the London College of Fashion. She first met Martin Green on the London club scene in the early 1990s.

Reviews for Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of Leigh Bowery's 1980s London

‘A sumptuous feast of images and a riveting narrative about an era when getting dressed up was an act of defiance. Green and Stevenson’s veteran status brings authenticity and further depth to the story, ensuring that Bowery’s legacy and that of his fellow fashion rebels live on.’ * Artlyst * ‘Delightfully OTT … Evokes the spirit of an age’ * The Times * ‘Brings to light a creative community of people who together influenced and changed the landscape of British popular culture in the mid-1980s.’ * FAD * ‘[Enhances] the anarchic and bold energy of Leigh Bowery and the fashion renegades, pioneers of this avant-garde movement.’ -- .Cent