Meet Nudie Cohn. Though he was born in the Ukraine, Cohn was country through and through. The larger-than-life character and his legendary “Rodeo Tailors” shop dressed the best of the best from the late 40s straight through the early 90s. As you will see, there is nothing quite like a Nudie suit!
Granny Takes a Trip was a boutique that opened in February 1966 at 488 Kings Road in Chelsea, London by Nigel Waymouth, Sheila Cohen, and John Pearse. It is arguably the first psychedelic boutique of ‘Swinging London,’ and it is certainly one of the coolest shops of all time!
It started out as an outlet for Cohen’s collection of antique clothing, but it quickly evolved into a hangout for the rich and famous, and a place to buy totally unique, and utterly excellent clothes. Taking the gaudy upholstery, lace and brightly patterned wall coverings that typified geriatric chic, the designers at Granny’s twisted them into modern takes on the saville row tailoring tradition. And everyone that was anyone got on the Granny’s trip.
At first, the ambiance was a mixture of New Orleans bordello and futuristic fantasy. Marbled patterns papered the walls, with rails carrying an assortment of brightly-colored clothes. Lace curtains draped the doorway of its single change room, 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 Deco Wurlitzer blasted out a selection of music.
By 1969 though, Nigel Waymouth was more interested in art and music, and John Pearse went into theatre. Freddie Hornik, a fashion entrepreneur, bought the business. He, Gene Krell, and Marty Breslau “dandified” the shop, attracting customers like Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards. Branches were opened in New York and Los Angeles and sold to Elton John, Keith Moon, the New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, and Mick Jagger.
These were closed in 1973 when it was acquired yet again by Glen Palmer who moved the location to the Sunset Strip. That closed in the early ’80s, and so did Granny Takes a Trip.
For Gene Krel! xo
Ah … the innocence of young love and adolescent naivety. To be a young girl concerned about whether the real Donny is “sweet or sexy.” To wonder “is Elton John a sex symbol?” To question if “David’s kisses mean danger.” These topics, and so many more ridiculous ones were the subject of just about every Tiger Beat magazine of the 60s and 70s (and they probably still are today, I guess). Doesn’t anyone else think it’s just a bit odd? Sort of like Playboy for 12 year-old girls …
I’m not quite sure how this ties into Halloween, but it does … way back in the 70s, a strange phenomena came from nowhere. One day rockstars just started wearing makeup. And I’m not just talking your KISS wannabees or Elton John, even Bob Dylan jumped on this trend. It lived a long life, and it’s unclear when exactly men in makeup became uncool again, but it certainly lasted through the the 80s …
SuperRadNow 