User:Sweetshop/WORLD'S END CHELSEA 1960'S

In the late 1960's a shabby area in Chelsea known as The World's End became paradoxically an epicentre of creative and colourful activity, with a cluster of unique boutiques, hippy shops and watering holes for the rich and famous of the day. In 1966 Granny Takes A Trip opened in the King's Road selling a mixture of vintage clothes and collections of men's and women's wear made out of vintage 30's and 40's fabrics.This collection evolved into stylish tailored men's velvet jackets, printed flowered granny dresses and leather boots made of snakes skin or leather with appliqued moons and stars. Grannys as it was known had a series of unique shop fronts, a car cut in half projecting out of the shop front, a painted effigy of Marylyn Monroe, a blown up portrait of a native Indian in full feathered headress. The shop was run by Sheila Cohen, Nigel Weymouth and John English and patronised by The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, The Beatles and many pop groups of the sixties. Just around the corner at 28 Blantyre Street SW10 another iconic shop opened in 1967, The Sweet Shop,selling silk appliqued patchwork velvet long caftans, tabards appliqued with fleur de lis and floor cushions all inspired by a medieval themes with fleur de lis appliques and designed by artist/designer Laura Jamieson. The shop front was boarded and painted by Australian artist Martin Sharpe famous at that time for his illustrations in the underground I.T magazine. Many of the cogneseti of the day frequented the shop including Keith Richards, Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Julie Christie and visiting American group Jefferson Aeroplane. Amongst this cluster of unique shops were Gandolf's Garden selling posters and hippy paraphanelia, Sophisticat selling reclaimed pine furniture and home to Christian the lion cub, Sweeny's, hairdresser to the stars, The Dragon tea house, Hung on You selling silk flowered shirts designed by Michael Rainey. The Cassarole and the Water Rat watering holes for local hippies and Chelsea creatives.