Carnaby Street

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Carnaby Street
Londons Carnaby Street, 1966.jpg
Swinging London, Carnaby Street, c. 1966
Westminster London UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown within City of Westminster
NamesakeKarnaby House
Maintained by Westminster City Council
Length250 m (820 ft)
Location Soho, London
Postal code W1
Nearest Tube station Underground no-text.svg Oxford Circus
Coordinates 51°30′48″N0°08′20″W / 51.51333°N 0.13889°W / 51.51333; -0.13889
South end Beak Street
North end Great Marlborough Street
Construction
Inauguration1685 or 1686
Other
Known for1960s fashion
StatusPedestrianised

Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion boutiques.

Contents

Streets crossing, or meeting with, Carnaby Street are, from south to north, Beak Street, Broadwick Street, Kingly Court, Ganton Street, Marlborough Court, Lowndes Court, Fouberts Place, Little Marlborough Street and Great Marlborough Street. The nearest London Underground station is Oxford Circus.

History

Irvine Sellars and other boutiques, Carnaby Street, 1968 England-1968 09.jpg
Irvine Sellars and other boutiques, Carnaby Street, 1968

Carnaby Street derives its name from Karnaby House, which was built in 1683 to the east. The origin of the name is unknown. The street was probably laid out in 1685 or 1686. First appearing in the ratebooks in 1687, it was almost completely built up by 1690 with small houses. A market was developed in the 1820s. In his novel, Sybil (1845), Benjamin Disraeli refers to "a carcase-butcher famous in Carnaby-market". [1]

This area is notable for a cholera outbreak in 1854 that led to an early application of fundamental epidemiological principles to resolve the crisis. John Snow, the physician who recognised the cases were concentrated near a pump on Broad Street (later renamed Broadwick Street), communicated the finding on a topographical display. This led to the pump being locked, after which the reduction in cases of cholera was rapid.

20th century

In 1934, Amy Ashwood Garvey and Sam Manning opened the Florence Mills Social Club at number 50, [2] a jazz club that became a gathering place for supporters of Pan-Africanism. [3]

Carnaby Street in the early 1950s was a shabby Soho backstreet consisting of "rag trade sweat shops, locksmiths and tailors, and a Central Electricity Board depot practically took up one side of the street." [4] The genesis of Carnaby Street as a global fashion destination began with Bill 'Vince' Green, a male physique photographer. [5] In 1954 he opened a small clothing boutique, Vince, in adjoining Newburgh Street, to capitalise on the homosexual body-building community that congregated around the Marshall Street baths. [6] [4] Those who modelled for the Vince catalogue and advertisements, and boosted its popularity, were the then barely-known Sean Connery and the hugely popular handsome boxer Billy Walker. [4] To further attract custom, Green hired pretty young men as sales assistants, one of whom was the Glasgow-born John Stephen, later to be known as 'The King Of Carnaby Street'. [7] [8]

Stephen opened the boutique His Clothes in 1957 [9] after his shop in Beak Street burned down. As Mary Quant later stated of Stephen, "He made Carnaby Street. He was Carnaby Street. He invented a look for young men which was wildly exuberant, dashing and fun." [8] According to James Gardiner, who at one stage made ties for the Vince boutique, at this period Carnaby Street "was essentially a gay thing...The clothes, including pink shirts and skin-tight white pants, were designed to appeal to gay men, but soon went mainstream." [10]

Stephen was followed by other men's fashion retailers, including Gear, Mates and Ravel. In 1966, Harry Fox and Henry Moss opened the first women's fashion boutique, Lady Jane, and later rented Foubert's Place to I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, their first outlet in the area. Round the corner in Kingly Street, Tommy Roberts opened his gift shop, Kleptomania. He moved to Carnaby Street in 1967 and went on to become famous in the King's Road, Chelsea, with his Mr Freedom shop.

By the 1960s, Carnaby Street was popular with followers of the mod, hippie and peacock revolution styles. [11] Many independent fashion designers, such as Mary Quant, Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin, [12] Lord John, Merc, Take Six, and Irvine Sellars had premises in the street, and various underground music bars, such as the Roaring Twenties, opened in the surrounding streets. Bands such as the Small Faces, the Who and the Rolling Stones appeared in the area, to work (at the legendary Marquee Club round the corner in Wardour Street), to shop and to socialise, so it became one of the coolest destinations associated with 1960s Swinging London.

The first Cranks restaurant was opened at 22 Carnaby Street in 1961 by David and Kay Canter and Daphne Swann. Cranks grew into a chain and has been seen as a major factor in the spread of vegetarianism in recent decades [13]

The Carnaby Street contingent of Swinging London stormed into North American and international awareness with the 15 April 1966 publication of Time magazine's cover story [14] that extolled this street's role:

Perhaps nothing illustrates the new swinging London better than narrow, three-block-long Carnaby Street, which is crammed with a cluster of the 'gear' boutiques where the girls and boys buy each other clothing... [15]

In October 1973, the Greater London Council pedestrianised the street. [16] Vehicular access is restricted between 11 am and 8 pm. A comparison of pedestrian traffic before and after the change revealed that there had been a 30% increase in the number of pedestrians entering the area. In early 2010, a campaign was commenced for the pedestrianisation in the adjacent area of Soho. [17]

Westminster City Council erected two green plaques, one at 1 Carnaby Street, dedicated to fashion entrepreneur John Stephen, who began the Mod fashion revolution, and another at 52/55 Carnaby Street, dedicated to the Mod pop group the Small Faces and their manager, Don Arden.

21st century

The Rolling Stones shop in Carnaby Street, 2012 Rolling Stones pop shop.jpg
The Rolling Stones shop in Carnaby Street, 2012

To celebrate the memory of Freddie Mercury after the release of Bohemian Rhapsody , the Carnaby Street arch got a rework with Queen's logo being put up until early 2019.

Despite John Stephen closing his final business in 1975 (he died in 2004 aged 70) and the gradual movement to novelty shops with appeal to the ever increasing tourist trade, the boutique trade founded in Carnaby Street in 1957 by Stephen is still visible through the many shops of that ilk that still exist[ citation needed ] in the street today[ when? ]. Although featured in many books about London, the only book published which is exclusively about Carnaby Street and traces the history from the 1600s to 1970 is simply entitled Carnaby Street and was written by Tom Salter in 1970.

Cultural impact

Carnaby Street in 2006 Carnaby Street London - September 2006.jpg
Carnaby Street in 2006

In 1966 Lady Jane, the first ladies' fashion boutique opened, creating a public sensation when they had models getting dressed in the window, bringing Carnaby Street to a standstill. [18] [19] This typified the relaxed sexual attitude the era brought about.

Carnaby Street was satirised by The Kinks in their 1966 hit, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion," which contains the line "Everywhere the Carnabetian Army marches on, each one a dedicated follower of fashion."

It was mentioned in the 1967 film Smashing Time . One of the songs, "Carnaby Street," features the lyric: "You'll pay for the gear on display to appear on the scene/ It's no good being mean/ They'll have your every bean."

In 1969, Peggy March recorded an album called In der Carnaby Street, with a hit song of the same name.

A song by The Jam, "Carnaby Street," was written by bassist Bruce Foxton. It was the B-side of single "All Around the World."

Carnaby Street the Musical opened in 2013. The show is set in the 1960s. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soho</span> District in London, England

Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, itself a part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wardour Street</span> Street in London, England

Wardour Street is a street in Soho, City of Westminster, London. It is a one-way street that runs north from Leicester Square, through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street. Throughout the 20th century the West End street became a centre for the British film industry and the popular music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Road</span> Major street in west London, England

King's Road or Kings Road is a major street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both in west London, England. It is associated with 1960s style and with fashion figures such as Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood. Sir Oswald Mosley's Blackshirt movement had a barracks on the street in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod (subculture)</span> Subculture in England

Mod, from the word modernist, is a subculture that began in 1950s London and spread throughout Great Britain, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries. It continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and fashion, the subculture has its roots in a small group of stylish London-based young men and women in the late 1950s who were termed modernists because they listened to modern jazz. Elements of the mod subculture include fashion ; music and motor scooters. In the mid-1960s, the subculture listened to rock groups such as the Who and Small Faces. The original mod scene was associated with amphetamine-fuelled all-night jazz dancing at clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadwick Street</span> Street in Soho, London

Broadwick Street is a street in Soho, City of Westminster, London. It runs for 0.18 miles (0.29 km) approximately west–east between Marshall Street and Wardour Street, crossing Berwick Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Marlborough Street</span> Street near Soho, London

Great Marlborough Street is a thoroughfare in Soho, Central London. It runs east of Regent Street past Carnaby Street towards Noel Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty (department store)</span> Department store in London, England

Liberty, commonly known as Liberty's, is a luxury department store in London, England. It is located on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London. The building spans from Carnaby Street on the East to Kingly Street on the West, where it forms a three storey archway over the Northern entrance to the Kingly Street mall that houses the Liberty Clock in its centre. Liberty is known around the world for its close connection to art and culture, it is most famous for its bold and floral print fabrics. The vast mock-Tudor store also sells men's, women's and children's fashion, beauty and homewares from a mix of high-end and emerging brands and labels.

John Stephen, dubbed by the media the £1m Mod and the King Of Carnaby Street, was one of the most important fashion figures of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet</span>

I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet is a clothing boutique which achieved fame in 1960s "Swinging London" by promoting antique military uniforms as fashion items.

Thomas Steven Roberts was an English designer and fashion entrepreneur who operated prominent independent retail outlets including pop art boutique, Mr Freedom, and the 1980s decorative arts and homewares store, Practical Styling.

Mr Freedom was a clothing boutique in London which sold fashion by a number of young designers commissioned by the owner, designer Tommy Roberts, and his partner, Trevor Myles. Celebrities such as Freddie Mercury and Elton John wore designs from the shop which was at 430 King's Road in Chelsea, London from 1969–70 and then at 20 Kensington Church Street in Kensington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Michael Ingram</span>

John Michael Ingram was an influential British menswear designer and retailer of the 1950s and '60s who founded the John Michael fashion brand, followed by a range of successful retail concepts, before establishing one of the first fashion forecasting agencies in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganton Street</span>

Ganton Street is a street in central London that runs between Marshall Street and Kingly Street. It is crossed by Carnaby Street, and Newburgh Street joins it on its north side. The street is in a part-pedestrianised area dominated by independent clothing shops and restaurants, and on upper floors, offices, particularly media companies. Immediately to the east of Regent Street, Ganton Street is variously described as being in the West End, Soho, and "Carnaby" areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Jane (boutique)</span>

Lady Jane was the first women's fashion boutique on London's Carnaby Street. It was opened by Henry Moss and his partner Harry Fox in April 1966 and was seen as a counterpart to Warren Gold's Lord John chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50 Carnaby Street</span> Building in London, England

50 Carnaby Street in London's Soho district was the site of several important music clubs in the 20th century. These clubs were often run for and by the black community, with jazz and calypso music predominating in the earlier years. From 1936, it was the Florence Mills Social Parlour. In the 1940s it was the Blue Lagoon Club. In 1950, it was briefly Club Eleven, and from the early 1950s it was the Sunset Club. From 1961, it was occupied by the Roaring Twenties nightclub. In the 1970s it was Columbo's. It is now a Ben Sherman shop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord John</span> Former British fashion retailer

Lord John was a British men's fashion retailer, which opened its first store at 43 Carnaby Street, London, at the corner with Ganton Street, in 1963.

Warren Allen Gold was a British fashion retailer, and with his brothers Harold and David founded the fashion chain Lord John.

This is a list of the etymology of street names in the London district of Soho, in the City of Westminster. The following utilises the generally accepted boundaries of Soho viz. Oxford Street to the north, Charing Cross Road to the east, Shaftesbury Avenue to the south and Regent Street to the west.

Henry Moss is a British clothing and food entrepreneur, notable for women's fashion and associated with the emergence of London's Carnaby Street as a world centre of fashion in the swinging sixties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peacock revolution</span> Mid–1900s fashion movement

The peacock revolution was a fashion movement which took place between the late 1950s and mid–1970s, mostly in the United Kingdom. Mostly based around men incorporating feminine fashion elements such as floral prints, bright colours and complex patterns, the movement also saw the embracing of elements of fashions from Africa, Asia, the late 17th century and the queer community. The movement began around the late 1950s when John Stephen began opening boutiques on Carnaby Street, London, which advertised flamboyant and queer fashions to the mod subculture. Entering the mainstream by the mid-1960s through the designs of Michael Fish, it was embraced by popular rock acts including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Small Faces. By the beginning of the 1970s, it had begun to decline due to popular fashion returning to a more conservative style.

References

  1. ↑ Benjamin Disraeli (1845) Sybil, chapter 1
  2. ↑ Garvey, Amy Ashwood (1897–1969) Archived 22 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine , BlackPast.org
  3. ↑ Black History in Westminster Archived 21 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine , City of Westminster
  4. 1 2 3 Paul Anderson, Mods: The New Religion, Omnibus Press, London 2014.
  5. ↑ Carnaby Hails Vince: Plaque For The Iconic Men’s Boutique
  6. ↑ James Gardiner interviewed by Clare Barlow. 12 April 2019, Wellcome Collection.
  7. ↑ Jeremy Reed, The King of Carnaby Street: The Life of John Stephen, Haus, London 2010
  8. 1 2 "Sixties Icon: As Carnaby Street celebrates 50 years, the extraordinary story of how a shy, young man from Govan began it all", The Scotsman, 14 September 2010.
  9. ↑ "Art & Hue presents The King of Carnaby Street – Stylish Pop Art - Bespoke & Custom Art". Art & Hue. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  10. ↑ James Gardiner interviewed by Clare Barlow. 12 April 2019, Wellcome Collection, : 60 min mark
  11. ↑ Bolton, Gay. "Swinging 60s men's fashion on show at Derbyshire museum". Derbyshire Times . Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Childs, Peter (1999). Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture. p. 180. ISBN   9780415147262.
  13. ↑ Russell, Polly (5 November 2021). "The secret history of Britain's favourite dishes" . Financial Times. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "London: The Swinging City". Time. 15 April 1966. Archived from the original on 17 January 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  15. ↑ "You Can Walk across It on the Grass". Time. 15 April 1966. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  16. ↑ "Museo del Camminare - London". www.museodelcamminare.org. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Mark Stanley. "savingsoho.co.uk". Archived from the original on 25 August 2010.
  18. ↑ "Decision - Commemorative Green Plaque for the former Lady Jane boutique, Carnaby Street". www.westminster.gov.uk. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "Live models being dressed in the window of the Carnaby Street..." Getty Images. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  20. ↑ "Welcome to Carnaby Street The Musical". carnabystreetthemusical.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013.
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