1984-2012 LFW The Changing Face of British Fashion

After seeing the delightful contributions to 2012 London Fashion Week, including the spectacular flash mob for Stella McCartney's new collection, we at Bang Bang decided to take a look back at the evolution of London Fashion Week. In 1984 the BFC (British Fashion Council) was formed to put London on the fashion map & thus London Fashion Week was created.

1984

Galliano's degree collection inspired by the French revolution became the talk of fashion week.

The same year Katherine Hamnett's iconic T-Shirts won her the coveted Designer of the Year Award. Message t-shirts have become a necessary wardrobe filler for youth revolt ever since.

1985

Bodymap's shocking "Barbie Takes a Trip Around Nature's Cosmic Curves" can now be considered ahead of the curve. Designing specifically for young people & showing models of all shapes & sizes, their shiny swimsuits & acid prints grabbed the zeitgeist ripped it up & pieced it together in a pattern of wackiness & eccentricity.

1987

Vivienne Westwood returns in a wave of Royal inspiration. With wools & tweeds Westwood shows the world that British fashion is engrained in its history.



1989

Before The Babyshambles & the endorsements, a new face appeared on the catwalk & the fashion world was never the same again. Kate Moss makes her debut with the ever present Galliano collection.

1992

Alexander McQueen showcases his "bumster" trousers which make him synonymous with bringing rebellion, extravagance & theatre to the catwalk.



1995

Stella McCartney's graduation collection made front page news & was modeled by friends, Kate Moss & Naomi Campbell.

2006

Christopher Kane's micro dress' caused a stir, sticking with the same template & experimenting with bright & extreme color combinations.

2007

Gave birth to Henry Holland & his "One Trick Pony" collection taking us full circle with his Hamnett inspired slogan T-Shirts reflecting the East End club scene.

2008

In light of the global warming threat the British Fashion Council create the Eco Fashion Mentor Programme.

2010

LFW continues to use its global platform for ethical issues with Naomi Campbell launching Fashion For Relief. This saw celebrities such as James Corden & Shirley Bassey take to the runway.

London Fashion Week has become a feeding ground for new, up & coming British talent & has succeeded in making the UK one of the world's leaders when it comes to innovation & design.

Get your sketch books out & hope that it continues for years to come.

Bringing the 70's back with Bang Bang

1970's fashion is coming back with a bang (bang) & we couldn't be happier! The fashion, the music, the dreams are all making a comeback & we at Bang Bang say hazaar and hooray!

The essence of seventies styles is a mish mash of all things cool, although sometimes it might not come to fruition as we trip over our Maxis dancing to Fleetwood Mac!

I have been considering the seventies ever since the overwhelming jealousy sprang from my body after my mum informed me she would be going to the Cropredy Festival & seeing the timeless joy that is Fairport Convention! It made me think about the idea of festivals & how, although music & perception may have changed, the style & atmospheres is still & will, hopefully, be forever & always everything 70s.

Flowing, unkempt hair like Joni Mitchell, sultry & mysterious swaying to the breeze as much as to the music.

Fantastical maxis mirroring Kate Bush & Stevie Nick's seventies take over, the dresses that seem to move of their own accord & that are continuing to sway today.



We recently procured some inspiring maxi dresses that would have any fashionista frothing at the mouth. The sheer floral design of this maxi gives it an ethereal feel that is perfect for anyone with a dream & a dance in their heart. The flowery headband finished off the outfit to perfection leaving you fantasizing of flower power & peace in the world.

Style Companion

It was with deep sadness that I learned yesterday of the death of Elisabeth Sladen to cancer aged only 63, more popularly known as Sarah Jane Smith from the long running BBC Television series Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Sladen had joined the series in 1973 and quickly became the most popular ever companion of the Doctor, a status that endures to this day amongst fans and writers of the show. She was a friend to no less than seven of the eleven TARDIS thieves.

As Sarah Jane she was impossibly pretty, stylish, practical and intelligent but full of fun and this was always reflected in her wardrobe. Whether she was hanging from a scaffold or running around with a huge spider stuck to her back she was always impeccably turned out. I think what makes all the Doctor's companions' styling special is that although they are always of the time, their clothing always compliments their personalities and as such they never look like clothes horses and no one represented this more than Sarah Jane.

Sarah Jane wears a sweet fair isle knit sweater with puff sleeves

Denim jeans, chambray camisole and a short sleeved plaid shirt typical of her practicality edged with a hint of prettiness.

I love this bandana headscarf, such a simple way of keeping your hair tidy when escaping from a creepy disembodied hand trying to maul you.

She even managed to look cool in disastrous '80s spin-off K9 And Company by keeping it neat in a grey tweed trouser suit with a white Peter Pan collar and cute headband.

Elisabeth was one of the few women in television that seemed happy to grow older gracefully retaining her natural beauty whilst not becoming dowdy. This was shown in the recent Sarah Jane Adventures, how many other 60 year old women do you know who could carry off a horizontal striped jersey cling dress, mauve tights and knee boots? Sladen did and what's more she looked elegant doing it, even chasing after various monsters and jumping in and out of her Mini Cooper. Hope for us in the future possibly?

"What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who. And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely."

Matt Smith

Elisabeth Sladen

1st February 1948 - 19th April 2011

Blogged by Amy

Post-summer blues

So. Forget about the meaning of life or how they get figs into fig-rolls, the million dollar question this week is how did it get so damn cold? Returning to studies after the luxury of a summer spent frolicking overseas is not helped by the current icy temperatures which have forced me to wear (faux) fur both inside and out. Whilst I am happy to look like a yeti for the majority of the day, I have been yearning for something that I can wear which is still warm but will instil a little burst of sunshine into my wardrobe. When I popped into Bang Bang earlier this week I spied the perfect item. Patterned trousers have been heavily featured in this seasons collections- and for good reason. They are practical, stylish and comfortable all at the same time, suited to intense studying and intense dancing in equal measure. Demonstrated perfectly in Devi Kroell's A/W collection, the soft drape of these trousers is guranteed to flatter all body shapes.

Never one to miss a trick, Bang Bang's selection of patterned trousers offer affordable vintage style rivaling the gloss of the catwalks. These pairs would work perfectly with a slightly baggy vest top for day or a skin-tight leotard for night.

The bright, bright prints featured on these trousers will give your outfit a splash of colour that will work to eradicate this weeks dull, dull weather. Personally, my favourite are these beautiful parrot-print pair- the exotic print practically screams for a more tropical climate and is guranteed to lift the lucky buyer's mood.

If you dont find yourself lusting after Hawaiian prints, try these cute polka-dot trousers. Rolled up and worn with brogues and delicate frilly ankle socks, this pair encapsulates care-free summer days with the fun pattern.

All trousers are on sale for a very reasonable £15- thank goodness there is an answer to the distressing problem of what to wear in this post-summer climate. Now we can focus on the fig rolls. Answers on a post card?

Home sweet home...

We returned to our native shores this Saturday for the infamous Sheffield Vintage Fair. And we were not disappointed. You flocked in your hundreds to check out the exciting vintage finds we had on offer at The Basement. Check out some of our pics...

Flock Boutique, a recent addition to the Sheffield Vintage Fair family, showcased their pristine lace dresses, perfectly capturing this season’s underwear-as-outerwear trend. Also new to the fair were various delicious cupcake flavours such as the gorgeously gooey Snickers. Yummy is an understatement.

Many stalls had slashed their prices to offer even more affordable vintage fashion especially for the occasion and the legendary sale rails were in full force, with a plethora of colourful vintage dresses for a mere fiver.

A true vintage find was this pretty pastel dress, a bargain at £8 and perfect for a first date with black tights and a slick of red lipstick to offset the delicacy of the dress.

Another fair find was this beautifully re-worked vintage slip-dress, brought bang up to date with the added swish of quirky fabric. Originally £40, this dress had been reduced to a traffic-stopping £20 for the fair- a step in tune with the effect the lucky buyer is bound to have when they wear this dress.

A big thank you must go out to those who attended the fair and made it such an enjoyable event. We can’t wait for the next one and hope to see you there!

Love Bang Bang xxx

Gorgeous new Parisian jewellery in the shop NOW

We've just received some beautiful new jewellery with a french twist. Pop down to Bang Bang to snap us some of these gorgeous pieces. It will soon be available on the website too so if you live out of Sheffield you needed miss out. Here are a few taster pieces...


More stunning Alice in Wonderland jewellery also on it's way!

Exciting news! The Vintage Fair hits Birmingham!

A new city for The Vintage Fair. We head to Birmingham this November to bring quality affordable vintage to the Brums! We've booked the coolest venue in town, The Custard Factory and to be more precise we've booked their stunning library which provides the perfect Vintage Fair setting. We hope to see you there xx

The Manchester Vintage Fair - Sat 10th Oct

Well we've just about recovered form our new city vintage fair last Saturday. Manchester was such a blast with 1300 happy shoppers leaving The Met with bargains from a range of new & exciting stalls.
Some of your favourite Manchester shops, traders and designers came aboard the good ship Vintage Fair to bring you the most affordable vintage around!

Check out some of our images!



& to the people of Manchester, we'll see you this Christmas (Sat 12th Dec) for a festive special xxx

The Sheffield Vintage Fair - Sat 26th September @ The Basement

We returned to the Basement on Sat 26th September for our legendary Sheffield fair and you all came flocking in droves. 1100 of you came down throughout the day to bag a bargain form one of our wonderful low priced stalls. Sorry to those who had to queue to get in, we can't help being so popular :p

Here are some pics for your enjoyment xx

Pete Mckee 22 Views of Sheffield

We are so honoured to be one of only 3 stockists selling the wonderful Pete Mckee, 22 views of Sheffield book. Come and grab them whilst they're hot. We may even be talking the man himself into a book signing at the shop which you know will of course involve a vintage tea party & cupcakes (any excuse!) We'll let you know xx