In the post punk years around 1980 on there was a turn around in style in the UK. The punks, mods, rockers, skins and 2 Tone kids were still flaunting their looks  but something else was happening – people had perhaps grown tired of the ripped T, bin bag, army surplus rebel look and wanted to dress up and look sharp.

Suddenly groups like Blue Rondo a la Turk featuring my friend Christos (on right in my photo above he was wearing a pink Zoot suit! and is still one of the best dressed men to this day), Spandau Ballet, and individuals like Steve Strange (top photo walking in Covent Garden) were paying obsessive attention the way their clothes were made and their suits fit.

They started clubs like The Blitz, The Wag the BeatRoute to play the new music, dance and check out each other’s gear.

Graham Smith, a lad from Edgware in North London, shot the emerging London club scene that rose from Punk’s ashes. Check out his photos in the new book ‘We Can be Heroes‘, with text by Chris Sullivan (on left my photo above). Instead of dealing with the old school publishing industry, in true punk style it is self published.

As for myself, although never too good with an iron, I still managed to pull together an outfit – vintage 50’s American clothing, trousers from PX,  even the odd bit of Vivienne Westwood – it was important.