I’m indebted to reader Dave Shaw, who has sent me the photograph above left of himself wearing a very rare rock fashion garment: one of the canvas and leather jackets made famous by Rod Stewart, who sported his on the sleeve of 1970 solo album Gasoline Alley.

The cream jackets with heraldic-style brown trim were made by the maverick British tailor and leatherworker Colin Bennett and co-designed with Lloyd Johnson for sale in Kensington Market in the early 70s.

“When I bought it the guy told me it was the last of three; the others had gone to Rod Stewart and Allan Clarke of The Hollies,” says Shaw. In fact, as Johnson reveals in the comment below, Bennett made around 20 (and Stewart’s has survived in a collector’s archive).

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Tags: Allan Clarke, Bona Clouts, Colin Bennett, Cream, Dave Shaw, Gasoline Alley, Granny Takes A trip, Hampstead, Lloyd Johnson, Rod Stewart

Tonight I am the guest again of the Broken Hearts DJs, this time on their monthly show at Strongroom Alive, the station which is part of the media complex based in the Strongroom recording studio in east London.

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Tags: Amber Butchart, Nisha Thirkell, Strongroom Alive

//Frederique Cifuentes captures Lloyd Johnson in the doorway at 406 King's Road. Lloyd installed the lamp above his head when he opened Johnson's at the premises in 1978.//

Yesterday filming started for this summer’s King’s Road Fashion & Music Trail, which is is being launched to visitors to west London’s historic thoroughfare as part of Kensington & Chelsea’s InTransit festival in July.

The films of sites which have housed important boutiques in the story of rock & roll fashion will be accessible for pedestrians via QR codes and also appear on the RBKC website and on Youtube.

//Nigel Waymouth on the terrace at 488 King's Road.//

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Tags: Alan Kirwan, Alexander Plunkett Green, Bazaar, Dandie Fashions, Frederique Cifuentes, Granny Takes A trip, Johnson's The Modern Outfitters, Mary Quant, Nigel Waymouth, Paradise Garage, Rocco Borghese, Worlds End

We knew there was going to be a bit of a turn-out because the RSVPs ran way past the 100 mark on the day the invites were dispatched, but I don’t think any of us involved in Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter expected such a huge gathering for last night’s private view.

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Tags: Caitlin Smyth, Jeff Dexter, Lois Gabrin, Manca Bajec, Nobby GRaham, Paul Young, Peter Boutwood, Pippa Brooks, Robert Elms

Album sleeves, photography, magazines and a variety of press cuttings and ephemera underline the widespread recognition for Lloyd Johnson’s designs over the decades. Lloyd paid particular attention to them in the assemblage of the contents of the table-top vitrines and a wall collage on the fifth day of the exhibition installation just before the weekend.

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Tags: Chelsea Space, Lois Gabrin

Included in the Lloyd Johnson show are photographs of performers wearing Johnson’s apparel – above is a 1979 shot of Iggy Pop in one of the label’s jackets paired with a Johnson’s Bluebeat hat (if memory serves, Glen Matlock, who was working with Pop at the time on his album New Values, told me that Iggy half-inched it from him).

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Tags: 1979, Chelsea Space, Glen Matlock, Iggy Pop, Johnson & Johnson, Lois Gabrin, New Values, Process

Now the exhibition is getting to the nitty-gritty; yesterday Lloyd paid particular attention to the area dedicated to his businesses Cockell & Johnson and Johnson & Johnson, which produced peacock dandy and pop art fashion between 1968 and 1974 in Kensington  Market. Above are the print shirts which will be displayed, below some of the detail – on the left a stockinged leg print designed by Jane Wentworth (then Wealleans), who has contributed to my Tommy Roberts book.

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Tags: Chelsea Space, Debra Welch, Down By Law, Faith, George Michael, Jabne Wealleans, Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter, Tom Waits

//Lloyd takes a break to chat to (from left): Chelsea Space director Donald Smith, Eve Ferrett + Mark Summerfield.//

Among friends dropping in at Chelsea Space to check out the Lloyd Johnson show installation yesterday were performer Eve Ferrett and her other half Mark Summerfield.

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Tags: Chelsea Space, Donald Smith, Eve Ferrett, Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter, Mark Summerfield

The installation of the the Lloyd Johnson exhibition got off to a flying start yesterday.

The key piece – a reconstruction of the 80s frontage of Johnson’s Kensington Market boutique – was made and put in place by the crack team headed by Rod Holt at Mojo Creative Productions.

“I had the three pieces of glass signage in storage,” says Johnson. “I gave those to Rod with a photograph from back in the day and he and his guys pulled off a major triumph by putting it together.”

Original fascia: Johnny "Mono" Graham outside Johnson's Kensington Market 1980s. Photographer unknown.

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Tags: Chelsea Space, Fortnum & Mason's, Irvine Sellars, Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter, Lois Gabrin, Mojo Creative, Peter Boutwood, Rod Holt

Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter – the exhibition about one of the greatest contributors to British street fashion and visual culture of recent times – is at London gallery Chelsea Space in the New Year, from January 24 to March 3.

The show will be centred on Johnson’s archive of garments, artwork, fabrics, ephemera and personal effects, augmented by contributions from customers and collectors from Tokyo to Sydney to LA.

For a taster here’s a trio of clips featuring Johnson’s designs:

Tom Waits’ boots (from 2.50):

Iggy’s jacket on The Tube:

George Michael’s jacket + boots:

More info on Lloyd Johnson The Modern Outfitter here.

Tags: Chelsea Space, George Michael, Iggy Pop, Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter, Tom Waits