I first became involved
in Kensington Market at the end of the Seventies.When Beaufort Market,
the melting pot for a miriad of Punk designers, closedit marked the end
of the Punk party in King's Road. At the time, Kensington Market was in
decline. Many of the stalls were empty and the place stunk of patchouli.
Consequently, stalls were empty and rents were cheap; the designers posse
of King's Road relocated to Kensington Market and rebirth took place.
For the following 15 years Kensington Market
was at the forefront of every British fashion style movement - many would
claim that some of those self-same movements were born out of Kensington
Market and the clubs,bands and parties that were the nigthtime continuation
of the daytime Market.
Kensington Market was always slightly
seedy and "ramshackle";
sometimes, it could even be downright
dangerous, however, the designers's personalities, would be stars and dispossessed
and disenfranchised that that the small building attracted, captured the
imagination of the entire world.
Throughout the 80's, people from all over
the world came to Kensington Market for a spirit and a Zeitgeist that couldn't
be found anywhere else. Why?
If you were a designer just out of
college or just a kid with an idea that wanted to give it a try, Kensington
Market was the place. You didn't need a shop
lease or a bags of money - if you could
scrape together one months' rent you were there and the game and
in the centre of London, open 6 days a week. If Kensington Market closes
this will be our single greatest loss.
The opportunity for people "to give it
a go" and run with their dreams will be gone. If this sounds corny then
don't read on - I don't care. I was there and I saw it. It would be easy
for me to say (like many of the people interviewed in the Evening Standard)
that Kensington Market has had it's day, but that would be a lie.If fashion
or music changes and I don't like it, it doesn't make it any relevant.
British Youth Culture doesn't have to die
with the end of my own youth.
I still remember dancing to Tamla Mowtown
with 400 skinheads; I still rember the exitement when Bob Marley came to
my town and I still remember saving my pocket money to buy a shirt like David
Bowie, which I had to change into, after I had left the house, which I
thought I looked great in.
For this reason and for all the kids from
across the world that came to Kensington Market pursuing the same freedoms,
I hope the Market stays open.
When I go to Paris or New York or in fact
any foreign city, I go there to experience diversity of culture an people.
I make no secret of my contempt for the corporate Americanisation (globalisation)
which confronts me. I don't want to see people in logo'ed sportswear in
McDonalds/Burger King/Gap/Tower Records etc, drinking Coca-Cola. Does Kensington
High Street really need another shopping
development to make it indistinguishable
from every other High Street.
Just maybe we could live without it. The
developers cite the upgrading of their portfolio as the reason for the
redevelopment.
On behalf of British Youth Culture, Kensington
Market and all the ghosts who walked there - fuck you very much.
This is a list of the fashion names tha
started/traded in Kensington Market; apologisies for any that I have forgotten.
Johnsons, Red or Dead, Sign of the Times,
Boy, Rachel Auburn, Artificial Eye, UK Today, Spirit, Western Styling,
Ad Hoc, Pure Sex, European Sun, Redneck, Caroline Walker, Wilde Ones, Strip,
Classic Clothing, Thunder Pussey, Squat-rock, Kim West, The Regal,Sweet
Charity, Alphabet, Exotique,
Rancho Deluxe, Outlaw, Hollow Hills, Fetich
or Die, Ya-Ya, Rock Lobster, Children of Vision, Xtremes, PW Forte, Flyng
Records, John Crancher, Review,
Red Balls on Fire, Sex & Glamour,
XXX, Wendy's, Flying down to Rio, Planet Alice, Rock-a-cha, LA 1, Synthetic
Milk, American Retro ...