i couldn’t wait to get my mitts on ’70’s style & design’ by dominic lutyens and kirsty hislop. their beautiful hardcover book which landed in my lap not so long ago – love the print that’s under the sleeve btw, is chock-a-block with wonderful images and smart analysis that give due kudos to the era that has shaped so much of us today – the music, fashion, art, design and architecture we all adore. the 70’s (alongside the 40’s) is one of my favourite eras for inspiration both within interiors but especially fashion – and until now i hadn’t come across a book that focused on the good and the great design and ideas that were given birth to back then. personally, i have the 70’s to thank for my total obsession with and hefty collection of kaftans and maxis that hail from this glory era – no piece of clothing betters a super-bright, bejewelled or patterned kaftan or maxi for a perfect summer soiree in my mind. no thing! back to book – the series of chapters are set-up to allow the reader to better get a grip on one of the most inspiring eras of our time, these include pop, belle epoque, supernature – my personal favourite and avant-garde which pretty much reads as a trend report today! first published in 2009 – ’70’s style and design’ not only showcases the beautiful, the brilliant and the brave of the era through wonder images but also lutyens and hislops passion for the seventies – this really comes across in the book and it’s this personalization that makes it such an interesting read. get in and add it to your library here.
daniel newman’s native american style hogan in new mexico – a perfect get-a-way from it all!
new york dining room decorated by new york artist bill topley – i’m scheming something inspired by this for an upcoming photo shoot for BLACKDOT WORLD ARCHIVE.
the decadent rainbow room was a 500 seat restaurant and stage at big biba – the parties here were legendary!
the pointer sisters show us how it’s done!
a photograph shot by armet francis in brixton market 1973 is tomorrows outfit inspiration!!
cockette member wally 1971 – just another night out in dalston these days.
all images above taken from 70’s style and design.
dominic lutyens and kirsty hislop have kindly answered questions for bdwa blog below – with much thanks too for their beautiful book which is currently inspiring much of my wardrobe and design ideas!
1. top 5 favourite things.
Dominic: feminist Susan Faludi, artist Gillian Wearing, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Rome.
Kirsty: a glass of dry white; a run in the woods; a bargain; the internet; good TV, films and books.
2. was there anyone that inspired you from the beginning? who inspires you now?
Dominic: In the 70s and 80s – David Bowie, Grace Jones, Germaine Greer, Tony Benn. Now: I don’t really have heroes or people who really inspire me but a few names would be Kelis (for her style), Peter Tatchell (for his gay activism), Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama.
Kirsty: yes, definitely Mr Bowie as a youngster. Today I admire anyone who isn’t afraid to do their own thing
3. tell a little about your background.
Kirsty: I like to think I’m a visual person trapped in an editorial person’s body! I drifted into publishing but haven’t given up on more design-led fancies. The 70s book was inspired by Dominic’s mum’s extensive collection of Vogues and French Elles from that era – and the fact that they were our formative years. Sheer, unadulterated nostalgia!
Dominic: I came to writing via art school where I studied fine art but I always liked art that included text so that’s not such an illogical link. I love writing and have been lucky to have done this. I have mainly written about design but am also very interested in fashion and art and our 70s book gave me an outlet for that too. Aside from Kirsty’s reasons for why we wrote it, I would say that a lot of people, even supposedly intelligent ones, have been really indoctrinated by the cliché that the 70s is the decade that style forgot. Yet they’re blind to the fact that its influence is ubiquitous in all areas of culture today. 70s style marked a big change from the 60’s– it was much freer, funkier, more sassy and enriched by all the social changes which were happening in the time – greater freedom for women, black people, gay men and lesbians, whose previously overlooked culture and looks hugely influenced mainstream 70s style.
4. what are you currently collecting?
Kirsty: I am currently shedding, having amassed far too much over the years! Past passions included vintage Trifari jewellery and Enid Collins handbags.
Dominic: I’m not collecting either – it’s a constant battle to keep my flat tidy and uncluttered. But I do have a massive collection of books and fashion and design magazines – the latter a big collection that goes back many years. I also love 70’s furniture and home-wares and have quite a big collection, quite a lot of it given to me by my parents.
5. current favourite colour or colour combination?
Kirsty: I recently came across the yummy combo of caramel, fudge, toffee, grape, berry and khaki stripes on a silk scarf I found in a charity shop. I also love the late 70s/early 80s palette of baby pink, powder blue and pale yellow as popularized by Studio Alchimia and the Memphis group.
Dominic: Clothes-wise, definitely pastels. A bit fashion victimmy of me, I know but to me they have that late 70s/ early 80s vibe which Kirsty just mentioned. 1977 was a big year for pastels, I remember, and was part of an old-fashioned ballet craze, which was kickstarted too by the Anne Bancroft/ Shirley MacLaine movie The Turning Point. Sorry, I can talk about all this till the cows come home!
6. favourite thing to cook?
Kirsty: I’m not much of a cook, but I quite like assembling a fancy salad.
Dominic: At the moment, gazpacho and kedgeree.
7. who are you listening to at the moment?
Kirsty: my boyfriend chomping on a pear – he’s a noisy eater!
Dominic: Nothing this minute but friends of mine and I were playing Amanda Lear recently on Youtube. Love her trashy, androgynous disco!
8. whats most important to you?
Kirsty: my friends, family and (in a future world) my dog.
Dominic: My friends, family, companionship, work/ writing – when it’s interesting!
9. favourite destination?
Kirsty: the Sussex Downs and the New Forest, for charity shops, country pubs and communing with nature.
Dominic: Love Barcelona, Spain, Greece – it’s the climate, the food, swimming in the sea, the quality of light. In Spain it’s the friendliness too.
10. favorite blogs?
Kirsty: why, blackdotcooperative of course! Thanks for featuring us.
Dominic: I have to agree – it’s really amazing and so wide-ranging in its subject matter!
thanks!!
APPETITE FOR DECORATION 