Don’t think of this as an arty, coffee table book about fashion. Consider it more of a big family album featuring photos taken over the past sixty years that capture those all important early forays into adolescent style.
I say family though the wide-eyed youngsters on display in this weighty album are unlikely to be siblings of yours, instead they hail from a fumblingly fashion conscious family whose bosom I’m sure we can all relate to being firmly nuzzled in at some point. That’s not to say it’s chock full of sartorial slip ups or trendy trips as these profoundly British kids all look great in their own way. With spezial props going to Gary Aspden for the photographic proof provided of his early doors adi obsession. There’s also a lovely sense of innocence and authenticity captured throughout the images, no doubt because they belong in a simpler time prior to the ubiquitous selfie. A time when the long-awaited photo instantly became a tactile token to be treasured and revered in all it’s rectangular matt/glossy glory. Ironically this ace book started life as a flickr page as it’s a refreshing change to peruse these historical get-ups at a leisurely pace as opposed to the ADHD friendly, flash card way that we speedily view instagram, FB, tumblr, et al. these days. So top marks to author Nina Manadhar’s labour of love, especially on the 808 state/Mc Tunes pics oh and if you’re making a volume 2 gimme a shout yeah?
