Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London - A Playful Reawakening of Club Culture’s Anarchic Spirit

The Fashion and Textile Museum’s newest installation is a fearless homage to the boundary-pushing fashion that defined London’s 1980s club scene.

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London shines a spotlight on the gritty glory of the 1985 opening of Taboo, the iconic nightclub founded by designer and performance artist Leigh Bowery. Nestled in a small corner of Leicester Square, Taboo had a brief but impactful run, sparking an extraordinary surge of creativity among fashion designers, artists, writers, performers, and filmmakers. The exhibition celebrates the cultural hotspot’s dynamic community that daringly revolutionised the landscape of British popular culture in the mid-1980s.

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Taboo's experimental flair and audacious “dress as though your life depends on it or don’t bother” code of attire sparked a generation of outrageous outfits, bringing together a diverse circle of influential figures, including fashion designers BodyMap, Rachel Auburn, John Crancher, and Pam Hogg, along with dancer Michael Clark and pop icon Boy George.

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Outlaws weaves a bold tactile retracing of Taboo’s exuberance and anarchic energy of the night that fostered experimental creativity. Stemming from a desire to disrupt the status quo, the dancefloors of the underground ‘80s club scene bridged the gap between the nocturnal escapades of its patrons and their artistic expressions of the day.  

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

At the heart of the unashamed gaudiness characterising the exhibition lies a vivid recreation of the bustling market stalls where pioneering designers showcased their creations. Notable among these were Hyper Hyper in Kensington Market and Great Gear Market on the Kings Road. In the early 1980s, London’s markets became essential hubs for subculture, highlighting an eclectic mix of styles from Rockabilly to Goth and Bondage to Skinhead.

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Retracing the raucous, unconstrained punk of the era, Outlaws showcases an audacious, extensive collection of striking garments from over thirty designers, featuring custom-made pieces from private collections by renowned, celebrated names like John Galliano, John Flett, Stephen Linard, and Dean Bright. Complementing the curation of fashion archives are various photographs and films reflecting the vibrant, boisterous spirit of the alternative party scene. On display are radical designs of alternative visionaries, including shower curtain capes, foam-stuffed catsuits, and asymmetrical cuts, all creating a textile chronicle of the symphony of rebellious theatricality born on the club’s naughty dancefloors.

Installation view of Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s, 2024. Photo: Sheraz Zingraff. Courtesy of the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Taboo represents a pivotal moment in the history of queer culture, where diverse expressions of sexuality were embraced, experimentation was encouraged, and gender boundaries were fluid. Taboo’s unfiltered culture of redefining gender norms serves as a powerful reminder of the vibrancy and creativity that have characterised LGBTQ+ history. 

Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London is on exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum from 4 October 2024 to 9 March 2025.