Granny Takes a Trip

Granny Takes a Trip was the first psychedelic boutique in “Swinging London” in the 1960s.

The boutique was the brainchild of graphic designer Nigel Weymouth  and his girlfriend Sheila Cohen – part time actress and fanatical collector of vintage clothing.  In the summer of 1965, John Pearse, who had trained as a tailor on Savile Row, agreed to join them in the venture.  Granny Takes a Trip opened it’s doors in December 1965 at 488 King’s Road,  – an area known as World’s End in Chelsea.

The name of the boutique was giving away its policy – ‘Granny’ symbolized the influence of the past, and ‘Trip’ , a colourful world of bougeoing hippie movement and its drug of choice – LSD.

Initially the ambience was a mixture of New Orleans bordello and futuristic fantasy. Marbled patterns papered the walls, with rails carrying an assortment of brightly coloured clothes. Lace curtains draped the doorway of its single changeroom, and a beaded glass curtain hung over the entrance at the top of steps, which led on into the shop. In the back room, an Art DecoWurlitzer blasted out a selection of music.

The boutique clothed London’s fashionable young men and women, including many major rock performers. A constant stream of people visited the shop, especially on Saturdays during the weekly King’s Road Parade.

The facade of the boutique was an ever changing display of psychedelia, from Native American chiefs to the giant pop-art face of Jean Harlow and a car driving out of the window.

The Animals

 

Nigel Weymouth (right)

George Harrison wearing blazer from Granny Takes a Trip

Michael J. Pollard outisde Granny Takes A Trip

 

Dandies of the Congo

Known as “La Sape“, stands for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (The Society for the Advancement of Elegant People),  these devoted dapper dressers turn the art of style into a cultural statement.  The clothing worn by the Sapeurs (adherents of La Sape) are often brightly coloured and very flamboyant, make them stand out among the surrounding poverty.

Willy Covary, one of Brazzaville’s best-known and most respected Sapeurs, struts in flamingo pink down a Bacongo street

La Sape can be traced  back to the early years of  the French colonisation of the Congo in the 1920s. The sub-cultural movement, as we know  it today, took off in the 1970s in Brazzaville, capital city of  Republic of the Congo, when “authenticity” was part of the states ideology in the country, a policy that prohibited the wearing of Western clothing. The Sapeurs, mostly unemployed men began to rebel against Mobutu Sese Sekoby’s policy by wearing non-conformist clothing, as a way to distinguish themselves from the deprived and unsettling society.  Papa Wemba , a Congolese musician who had passion for French fashion, became the leader of the Sapeur, promoting high standards of cleanliness, hygiene and smart dress among youths regardless of societal differences.

Since, La Sape has spread beyond the Congos and inspired many artists and designers around the world.  In 2009, Italian photographer Daniele Tamagni published his pictorial book, Gentlemen of Bacongo with the preface written by the British designer, Paul Smith:

“Their style appeals to me because right from the beginning of my career I have always worked with classical shapes, and strived for beautiful quality, whilst the main emphasis of my work has come from the use of colour, and the unusual coordination of fabrics. As a designer, I have for years also played with the opposites and the unexpected in my work, a classical jacket with an unusual lining for example.”