Style London Mod mecca Carnaby Street celebrates its 50th birthday

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THE DISTRICT THAT SPAWNED MOD FASHION CELEBRATES ITS GOLDEN MOD FASHION CELEBRATES ITS GO

ANNIVERSARY. // BY CHRISTINE H. O’TOOLEANNIVERSARY. // BY CHRISTINE H. O’TOO

CARNABY STREET CARNABY STREET, the trendy London district that helped , the trendy London district popularize the miniskirt, is turning 50 this year. But don’t popularize the miniskirt, is turning 50 thi expect a neighborhood made famous by the Rolling Stones expect a neighborhood made famous by th and the Sex Pistols to let down its hemlines. With free and the Sex Pistols to let down its hemline concerts scheduled for June 5 and 6, Carnaby Street rocks on. concerts scheduled for June 5 and 6, Carna

At the beginning of the Swinging ’60s, fashionistas started At the beginning of the Swinging ’60s, f swarming the narrow lanes off Regent Street, London’s grand swarming the narrow lanes offRegent Stre shopping boulevard. The Georgian storefronts on these little shopping boulevard. The Georgian storefr roads housed increasingly edgy designer boutiques. One of the roads housed increasingly edgy designer bo fashion mavens drawn to them was Zandra Rhodes, who started fashion mavens drawn to them was Zandra her couture career as a textile designer at the tiny Foale & Tuffi n her couture career as a textile designer at th boutique. Using Rhodes’ brilliantly patterned fabrics, Marion boutique. Using Rhodes’ brilliantly patter Foale and Sally Tuffi n helped put tiny skirts, colored tights Foale and Sally Tuffi n helped put tiny skir and the now-infamous pantsuit on the fashion map. and the now-infamous pantsuit on the fas

The inspiration for the Carnaby Street look? Pop Art, says The inspiration for the Carnaby Street l Rhodes. “It was Andy Warhol and the Union Jack and the U.S. Rhodes. “It was Andy Warhol and the Uni stars and stripes and top hats—both sides of the Atlantic in stars and stripes and top hats—both sides a higgledy-piggledy mix.” Rockers took notice. The vintage a higgledy-piggledy mix.” Rockers took no military jackets from a boutique called I Was Lord Kitchener’s military jackets from a boutique called I W Valet showed up on Jimi Hendrix and infl uenced the cover Valet showed up on Jimi Hendrix and influ of The Beatles’ of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Cl . The district also played a role in the emergence of punk, funk and district also played a role in the emergence hip-hop. And while the music may have changed, you can bet hip-hop. And while the music may have ch today’s fashionistas still stop in to pay homage to shops such today’s fashionistas still stop in to pay hom as The Great Frog and Lambretta. as The Great Frog and Lambretta.