TOPMAN COLLECTION INSPIRED BY NORTHERN SOUL

Topman opened the spring/summer 2016 shows at London Collections Menwith a show that crammed in enough youth culture references to test even the most enthusiastic of trainspotters. Northern Soul was the most obvious – its influence was seen in wide-legged trousers and vests (all the better for spinning around the dance floor) and patched jackets – while classic New York Punk references came in the form of studded denim (very Billy Idol). Some prints had designs resembling the logos of post-punk bands like PiL. 

Gordon Richardson, design director at Topman Design, didn’t want his SS16 collection to read as pure nostalgia: it was all about the mix – in his words, “Northern soul mixed with Billy Idol and surfers.” But the idea of absorbing different cultures to create something new was one embodied by the adolescent proponents of the Northern Soul movement. The packed clubs played records from bygone eras, after all – characterised by the sped-up tempo and soulful vocals of mid-1960s Motown records, DJs would source the rarest North American vinyls and introduce them to whole new audiences in the North back home. Aspects of the clubgoers’ style was similarly inherited: early fashion nodded to a classic mod style, like Fred Perry button-down shirts, smart brogues and Levi’s shrink-to-fit skinnies. But as the dancing got faster and the hours spent in the club got longer, the burgeoning style tribe needed to carve its own identity: one that began with whether you could dance in it. As Elliot James Langridge, star of Northern Soul, told Dazed, you can’t really understand the style of Northern Soul – whether that’s what to listen to, or how to dress – until you start to dance: “It makes it mean more.”

References:
1. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/jun/12/mens-fashion-topman-northern-soul-new-york-punk
2. http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/25076/1/how-northern-soul-sparked-a-fashion-revolution