Take inspiration from ‘70s fashion icons this summer

In our previous blog, we touched on certain trends being promoted in this year’s fashion publications that you might feel some pressure to follow. They range from the use of monochrome and flower motifs to aqua themes, more geometric touches and so much more, but doesn’t there come a time when you want to plough your own furrow? The stylists in London at Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) certainly allow you to do that. And where better to look for inspiration than the more distant past... such as the ‘70s?

The ‘70s were definitely not short of fashion icons. This was the age in which many social progressive values that began in the 1960s really began to flower. It was a time when people of all social backgrounds mixed on the dance floor as the hedonistic disco culture took hold, while here in the UK, economic strife and trade union disputes culminated in the election of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister in 1979. But enough of the history... whose fashion sense impressed you among the legions of movie stars, singers, politicians and other public figures who had such a prominent role during this decade?

Perhaps your head was turned by Farrah Fawcett, with her high-waisted denim flares and naïf, buttoned-down shirts? She practically invented the must-have celebrity hairstyle with the ‘Farrah Flick’, and that’s before you even mention that iconic image of her, grinning broadly and tilting her head back while wearing that swimsuit. Needless to say, fabulous Farrah is a favourite of many of our fashion stylists in London. Or maybe you were more of an admirer of the Nicaraguan-born activist and Studio 54 mainstay Bianca Jagger, who grabbed fashion headlines by wearing a white suit by Savile Row tailor Tommy Nutter for her marriage to her Rolling Stone in St Tropez in 1971?

Also widely emulated in the ‘70s – as well as in the decades since – was the insouciant style of punk rock and New Wave singer Debbie Harry, with her band Blondie’s explosion to fame with “Heart of Glass” bringing its lead singer’s red lips, mussed hair and funked-up maxis to wider appreciation. Or what about Diane Von Furstenburg, whose signature wrap dress of her own-name fashion label remains a staple of wardrobes today? We could go on, mentioning the likes of Joni Mitchell, Olivia Newton-John, Liza Minnelli, Faye Dunaway, Anjelica Huston, Donna Summer and more. But you get the idea... the ‘70s were festooned with fashion icons among the women alone.

With 2013 designers ranging from Gucci to Fendi and even Hedi Slimane’s first collection for Saint Laurent drawing heavily on the ‘70s, we’re talking a modern take and not a fancy dress costume. But of course, even if there’s a certain style or iconic garment that has caught your attention, you’ll want to ensure that anything that you choose to wear yourself actually suits you. A London fashion stylist from Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) can help you tap into the past while being bang on trend in the present.

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.