10
Issue 75 / 2015
FASHION
guestlist.net
Fashion timeline: smiley
The smiley has gone through many incarnations; it's been rock, punk and acid, and to an entire generation, it's nothing
more than an emoji, used to convey feelings when words just won't do. For us however, it will always be a synonymous
with the defining era of dance music and club culture – acid house
1963– Freelance artist Harvey Ball designs a smiley face to be used on badges
and posters for the US State Mutual Life Assurance Company to boost worker
morale. An icon is born in under ten minutes.
early 1988 – Electronic dance band
Bomb The Bass feature a smiley on
the cover of 'Beat Dis', and Danny
Rampling uses smileys on posters
to promote his club night Shoom.
They even look like little pills. The
smiley becomes the symbol of acid
house.
1972 – The UK adopts the smiley
face for the Windsor Free Rock
Festival, entwining the icon with
music and all around good vibes.
1988 – Stephane Raynor shows the BOY LONDON acid house collection,
inspired by the club life in Ibiza that he saw in the 80s. The smiley goes from
club to catwalk.
1991 – Nirvana use a smiley with
crossed out eyes and drooling
mouth on the front of their
"Corporate Rock Whores" t-shirt,
taking the icon across the musical
spectrum.
1994 – Franco Moschino displays his
irreverent approach to high fashion
by adopting the smiley.
late-90s – Tween girls across the land cover themselves in smiley accessories,
unaware of the association with pill-popping ravers.
2008– In an unlikely move, Livia Firth wears a Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
smiley dress to the premiere of Mamma Mia.
2014 - In a nod to the house's
heritage, Jeremy Scott uses the
smiley in his menswear debut for
Moschino.
2015 – With Seth Troxler bringing acid house back to London with his Acid
Future party at Tobacco Dock, and Fatboy Slim hosting his Smile High Club
at SW4, expect the smiley to be out in full force this summer.
2012– For his LFW show dedicated
to Michael Jackson, Philip Treacy
pairs an enormous smiley hat with
Jacko's famous Thriller jacket.
Shamone.