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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Beautiful People: The Boutique in 1960s Counterculture

Oct 1, 2021 – Mar 13, 2022
83 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3XF, United Kingdom

“We were young, rich and beautiful, and the tide—we thought—was turning in our favor. We were going to change everything, of course, but mostly we were going to change the rules.” This quote from Marianne Faithfull sets the tone for the exhibition “Beautiful People: The Boutique in 1960s Counterculture.” In a decade that saw meditation going mainstream and the fashionable world racing towards higher consciousness—often with the help of this or that substance— the boutiques of Chelsea were the dressing-up box for the moment. This show recreates eight of the most influential: Hung On You, Granny Takes A Trip, Biba, Apple Boutique, Apple Tailoring, Mr Fish, Dandie Fashions, and Quorum. —Sarah Hyde

“The Fool” outside the Beatles’ Apple Boutique, in London, 1967 © Karl Ferris (The Fool).