BEAUTY: Clothing--TOPMAN SS'18

TOPMAN looked back to a specific moment in English culture--the 1980s Bowie-inspired Blitz Kids of the Blitz Club and the subsequent New Romantic movement (I was a New Romantic, previously here!)--for a fun, flashy, New Wave-y Spring Summer 2018 collection at London Fashion Week Men's. I love how the suits invoke the 1940s silhouettes sported by Ultravox--and I really  love the cut of the trousers in the second row!

http://topman.com

R.I.P. Steve Strange

Steve Strange--lead signer of the 1980s group Visage, night club host and promoter, and all-around inspiration for the New Romantic movement in the 80s--has died at the young age of 55. It is reported that Strange died in his sleep of heart failure at Sharm El Sheik International Hospital, Egypt.

In the late 1970s, Strange and DJ Rusty Egan began a New Romantic night at Blitz, a nightclub in London. It quickly grew to be the place to be, as an alternative to the increasingly stale punk scene.

He was a founding member of the group Visage along with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure who would later go on to front Ultravox. Their hit "Fade To Grey" is a New Romantic classic. Strange (who was born Steven Harrington) was responsible for his own style and ever-changing fashion and make-up. In fact, Strange was more fond of make-up than even Nick Rhodes!

In the above photo, Strange, far left, is seen with bandmates Midge Ure, center and Rusty Egan, right. The group was eventually fleshed out with the additions of keyboardist Billy Currie (also from Ultravox), guitarist John McGeoch (later of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Public Image Ltd.), keyboardist Dave Formula, and bassist Barry Adamson.

Here is the video for their hit "Fade To Grey."

Fade to grey and rest in peace, Steve.

http://www.visage.cc