Mr Freedom (fashion)
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Mr Freedom was a clothing boutique in London which sold fashion by a number of young designers commissioned by the owner, designer Tommy Roberts, and his partner, Trevor Myles. Celebrities such as Freddie Mercury and
Didi Kempot Didi Kempot (born Didik Prasetyo; Javanese: ꦝꦶꦝꦶꦏ꧀ꦥꦿꦱꦼꦠꦾ, Dhidhik Prasetyå; 31 December 1966 – 5 May 2020) was an Indonesian singer and songwriter in the '' campursari'' style. He wrote some 700 songs, mainly in his ...
wore designs from the shop which was at 430
King's Road King's Road or Kings Road (or sometimes the King's Road, especially when it was the king's private road until 1830, or as a colloquialism by middle/upper class London residents), is a major street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both ...
in
Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...
from 1969–70 and then at 20 Kensington Church Street in Kensington 1945.


History

Mr Freedom was part of the counter-culture " Swinging London" scene around King's Road in 1960s' London. It followed the cult success of Roberts' earlier boutique, Kleptomania, which he had opened in 1965. Roberts bought the lease to the King's Road boutique, at number 430, in 1969 from
Michael Rainey Michael Sean O'Dare Rainey (21 January 1941 – 29 January 2017) was an Australian-born British fashion designer, best known for his 1960s London boutique, '' Hung On You''. Early life He was the son of Sean Rainey and Joyce Marion Wallace (1923 ...
, who had owned another boutique with a cult following at that location,
Hung On You Hung On You was a London fashion boutique, run by the designer Michael Rainey, particularly known for flowery shirts and kipper ties in bold colours. Rainey's customers included the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks and the actor Terence ...
. At Myles' suggestion, Roberts named the shop after the 1969 William Klein film ''
Mr. Freedom ''Mr. Freedom'' is a 1968 superhero film by the expatriate American photographer and filmmaker William Klein (photographer), William Klein. An anti-imperialist satirical farce, it concerns the exploits of the titular white nationalist superhero ...
'', which was a spoof of the anti-war movement. Roberts' designs featured styles now considered typical of the era: broad-brimmed hats, close-fitting maxi dresses, silk-screened cartoon character images on jersey tops, and winged shoes. Bright colours were also characteristic of the clothing. Rather than continuing with the homespun hippie style popular among the youth during the 1960s, Roberts veered away from nostalgia. Mr Freedom carried styles that were "brash, pop art fashion", such as satin ties for men, satin jackets, T-shirt dresses with appliqued "satin stars, thunderbolts, and ice-cream cones". A dose of 1950s
retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
was added to the mix of influences by 1972. Roberts produced clothes for the boutique in collaboration with a number of other young
avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
designers, "many of them gathered in from outside the pale of the fashion trade". The shop was described as having an "unquenchable enthusiasm for all things bright and in outrageously bad taste". In 1970, Elton John hired Roberts to design several concert outfits before he set out on an American tour. Roberts designed a "yellow boiler suit" with a piano appliqué on the back, and "white boots with green wings". The shop was known for kitschy design as much as the clothes themselves. An inflatable sex doll was used as a mannequin. Roberts operated Mr Freedom at the location at 430 King's Road until December 1970. In May 1971, the lease was taken by Myles and became Paradise Garage, selling
Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
, with Malcolm McLaren and
Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood came to public notice when she m ...
selling 1950s rock and roll records from a backroom, before McLaren took over the shop in November 1971 and renamed it Let it Rock. Roberts moved Mr Freedom to a new location, at Kensington Church Street. The store sold Pop art furniture in addition to clothes, by designer Jon Weallans, who designed such items as a chair in the form of a pair of false teeth. Mr Freedom added a small restaurant to its basement in 1971, called Mr Feed'em. The interior design was noted in the media as a fascinating draw for the public: "Stylistically, it defies analysis. It is almost impossible to detect at what point the patient, period reconstructions shade into pastiche". It was noted at that time, that the restaurant was relatively expensive. Roberts closed the Mr Freedom boutique in 1972. In 1973, he opened the shop City Lights as a high-end tailor, and pursued other design projects during the 1970s. The kitsch and irony apparent in Mr Freedom's fashions had a lasting impact, not only on street fashion but even on Parisian couture designers.


See also

*
Carnaby Street Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion boutiques. S ...
*
Granny Takes a Trip Granny Takes a Trip was a boutique opened in February 1966 at 488 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, by Nigel Waymouth, his girlfriend Sheila Cohen and John Pearse. The shop, which was acquired by Freddie Hornik in 1969, remained open until the mi ...
*
King's Road King's Road or Kings Road (or sometimes the King's Road, especially when it was the king's private road until 1830, or as a colloquialism by middle/upper class London residents), is a major street stretching through Chelsea and Fulham, both ...
*
Mary Quant Dame Barbara Mary Quant, Mrs Plunket Greene, (born 11 February 1930)The Mary Quant exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2019-20 stated her year of birth as 1930, and that she became a student at Goldsmiths College around 1950. is a ...
* Paul Smith (fashion designer) * Swinging London *
Vivienne Westwood Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood (née Swire; born 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood came to public notice when she m ...
* Christophe Loiron


References


External links


A short video of Mr. Freedom fashions in 1970 for a German TV show
{{coord missing, London Clothing retailers of the United Kingdom Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom 1960s in the United Kingdom 1970s in the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea British companies disestablished in 1972 Retail companies disestablished in 1972 King's Road, Chelsea, London