Kym Ellery is the genius mastermind behind her eponymous label ELLERY. Originally from Perth Australia, she moved to Sydney aged 20 where she worked for RUSSH Magazine gaining the momentum and insight to launch her own fashion label in 2007, going from strength to strength ever since!
“Little masterpieces, that’s what they were. The jewels of the cities and the high streets. Dressed with a stunning precision that spelt obsessive, a minefield of detail from head to toe, a work of art encased in mohair and existing for clothes, music and kicks, Mods listened to the best music, danced the best dances and helped transform British cultural life”.
(Paulo Hewitt on the Gen-1 Mods in ‘A Mod Anthology’, 1999)
So lets continue from where we left off in Mods (Issue 1). We’re currently still in London, the epicentre of a youth rebellion. Its now the early Sixties and change is vogue with major developments just around the corner. The social demographic has shifted to a more youthful Britain following the baby-boom of the Second World War (By the mid-1960’s around 40% of the population were under the age of 25!) and following the Anglo-American Loan (US$57m in today’s money) vast improvements in the social-economic state of the UK were now evident meaning that the kids of the lower ranks of society had it far better than any generation before them had ever known!
“He was fifteen and he was the best-dressed man in the whole big building. He spent more money on clothes in a week than they spent in a month – despite the disparity between their expense account padded salaries and the handful of peanuts in his wage packet…. What was the point of wearing a suit if you looked like a sack of potatoes in it?”
(Tony Parsons in ‘Limelight Blues’)
STREET_ADL / 285 Rundle Street / Adelaide / South Australia
Flicking through a copy of New Zealand’s LIFE Magazine from 24 July, 1967 a quite incredible story stands out on one of the most influential pop bands of our lifetime. It is written at a very interesting time, the turning point of a very sharp decade, a period where psychedelia and exploration gave new aspect and provides great insight into the changing mood and evolution of the most famous pop band of our time.
Coffee and Dolphins…. Could anyone suggest a better way to start the morning? An awesome new space has just been redeveloped and it couldn’t be better placed. The Harts Collective rests above the water, nestled in behind Port Adelaide’s Hart’s Mill boasting a clean open-plan, shared space.
Winter is coming…. As we head into the cooler months in the Southern Hemisphere the catwalks are assembling to showcase the latest collections from designers worldwide. We had the pleasure of attending the Casper & Pearl A/W 15 ‘ABRACADABRA’ campaign at the Freemasons Hall in Adelaide, South Australia.
Mister Sunshines / 32 George Street / Thebarton / South Australia
It’s the attention to detail that regularly brings us back to this café. It’s the energetic and welcoming staff (“…hello handsome, welcome back…”) and the instant vibe that flows on as you step inside. It’s the handmade American Oak service bench that greats you, the stereo always acutely tuned into good soulful or folky moods (Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Bon Iver, Massive Attack et al). It’s the dining furniture, plates, knives and forks; most of which may well have belonged to your grandparents and gives you a sense of warming and homely nostalgia. Its the care factor, the obvious passion for the local community and likewise the greater environment. And it’s the eco edge with pallet project centre-pieces in the front terrace which makes Mister Sunshine’s what it is.
Seeking out those stylish statement pieces has been a part of my life since I was a child. Fondly connecting with a past life so vividly as though my arrival in this world was somewhat repeated. I have always thought that when you acquire a piece of vintage clothing you can feel the soul of the life it once had or maybe it’s the residual energy of the person that once owned it. Whether its thrift shops, op shops, boot sales or markets I have always, and still do, relish the excitement of the hunt!
Without the Modernist subculture and the spark it generated, Britain’s soul would today remain a conservative grey; sterile in expression, decisively bland in flavour, humbled by a collapsed Empire. The curious and hungry spirit for something new amongst the earliest Mods eventually presented Britain’s stiff upper lip a new bosom to caress. This is the first part of a small series where we will take you through the back story of what Mod really is and how it developed into the coolest subculture in Britain and beyond.
(Authors Note – LDS, Feb 15)
THE-VINTAGE 
