Top tune from 1989 - FPI remix of Oddesseys awesome track
My mum used to make me clothes sometimes, as back then in the 1980's it was cheaper to make your own than buy. It wasn't unusual for those that had the skills, and time to do this, as they would have been taught it at school. My mum was into fashion as a youngster, and would make her own copies of Biba dresses back in the 1960s, so she had a lot of practice too. My mum made me some beautiful things, and I remember it became relevant when I was a teenager, and she could make me things that were high fashion and yet individual. For example, she made me a pinafore dress for secondary school (which kind of broke the rules). I only remember one other person having one who was older than me, so it was pretty cool, I could even chose the length myself. I would wear it with one of my dads, or even grandads old shirts. No tie of course, and when I did wear a tie, I made sure it wasn't school colours. I liked to push the boundaries and be an individual. I refused point blank from day one at secondary school to wear a blazer, anyway, it saved me mum and dad some money. Things were tough back then.
1986 - 1988 (Aged 14 - 16)
When I was about 14, my parents bought me a sewing machine one Christmas. Hmmm I thought, a bit odd, a bit grown up, what real use does it have to me? and then it began, over 30 years ago now. My mum just reminded me that it also came with some fabrics and patterns. She recalls how I chose not to use the patterns, and just took my scissors, cut into the fabric, and made up my own designs. Still to this day I struggle to follow written instructions and diagrams, unless its my own.
I would learn how to make my own stuff, through what must have been trial and error, as neither of us can recollect how I learnt, because it certainly wasn't at school. By that age you would only do it at school if it was one of your options, and I think sewing was combined with childcare, and these topics were pathetic as far as I was concerned. So I started designing and adapting my own clothing, I would also do the latest hair and make-up as per Jackie magazine tips of the week. I had the whole thing going on, as a lot of other teenagers in the 80s did to be fair, although I had the actual skills to create my own look.
I would get stuff from charity shops and upcycle it
I recently bumped into a school friends mum in my mums village, I haven't seen her in about 25 years at a guess. She was a cool mum, a little bit alternative herself, and she was pleased when I told her I was still making stuff, she made me feel fabulous when she told, me that she always thought I had something special going on and that I stood out from the crowd.
So after a pathetic gain of 4 C's in my GCSE's (my effort towards my exams was pretty invisible - I was more interested in boys, music and fashion) I did 2 weeks in 6th form (they were reluctant to take me anyway as I was such a rebel). Sixth form was full of the 'squares' and too serious, so I opted for North Notts College in Worksop to join all the non-academics, have a laugh and call the tutors by their first names . Cool Man! (I was capable of doing much better at school, and I know my mum was disappointed, but my saving grace was that I got my Maths and English - we were the first year of GCSE's by the way, as it changed from 'O' Levels, and everyone involved will admit it was a bit of a screw up).
1988 - 1991 (Aged 16 - 19)
I think (actually I know) my parents had concerns about me during my teens, I could be a bit of a handful, I wasn't bad just a bit on the wild side. To help me focus, my dad made me a studio, as he would actively encourage my artistic nature, being a musician and artist himself, I would be about 16/17.According to my mum (as I struggled with some memories), he lovingly converted an old outbuilding, completed it with nice flooring, electricity a heater and a massive cutting out / work table. I would spend hours in here, working on projects and dream of working with Vivienne Westwood or Wayne Hemmingway from Red or Dead. It was also a great space for my friends/ customers to come and hang out, usually as I was working. Speaking of Westwood, an older local girl who had gone to Fashion in London, dropped me by a copy of a corset pattern direct from Viviennes studio, super cool. I instantly started working with this, and Corsets became one of my key looks.
 |
| Katies graduation gown, me modelling |
 |
| Emma in her couture rouched red silk dress |
Also, once I was about 16 I would have my own personal hairdresser. One of my best friends Emma, who is featured in a couple of the photographs, was training to be a hairdresser. It was a great match, as Emma needed models to create the latest crazy hair cuts, and I was a willing participant, the crazier the better. I remember Emma doing me an awesome beehive once, another time she did something like dip dying, which was the hottest thing off the block, a few years older and she plaited all my hair, which I then let grow into dreads. It literally was cutting edge, we were ahead of the times.
I started off up cycling charity shop clothing, and whatever fabric I could was given, I would make something. Little would I know that 30 years later this would be the ethos of an Eco business, back then it was because I had no money. I would be paid to make clothing for my friends mostly, I was now operating a business and so got myself some labels 'Zeddy Mack'. It had become my nick name, my rave name, we all adopted names, and a name for our tribe, my tribe consisted of at least 3 guys and me, including my brother Jon E Mack, hilarious thinking about it now, and we called ourselves Zeddy Mack and the Something?? Possee. Mainly because I was the only female and the one with the car, so I had a leadership role.
 |
| My first label 'Zeddy Mack' |
Trainers back then identified your credibility, and I remember I was one of the first women in my area to wear trainers in a club. I wish I had photos to show you, but I have very little from that era. My clubbing style changed on a regular basis, as every weekend I might make something new to go out in, just as my mum did in the 60's. Generally it would something lycra, comfortable and sweat resistant. Boy did we sweat in the raves, the best nights were when the club would end up dripping from the ceiling, and you came out with your clothes soaking. I cottoned on to this, and I would take a spare set of clothing to get changed into to hang out at the service stations. I used to make 8 piece leather hats from the studio for the Rastas in local clubs, I will not go into details on this, but lets just say I was getting a bit 'Boyz in The Hood' at this point. Another story for another day.
I realised how comfy it was wearing my British Knights trainers, and would wear them with a lycra top, hot pants (oh yes I did), and funky tights so I could dance the night away looking cool, and being comfortable. Only the coolest girls wore trainers, and British Knights were the Dogs, I believe they have had a revival recently, the other ones were Travel Fox. You would save up for ages to get the most individual trainers you could.
 |
| After a night out Raving circa 1990 Emma, Boris, Me and Oggy |
Especially when they introduced the new student union area, where me and my mates from our old school commandeered to play cards, smoke and flirt. Other people that joined us were the cool people, the ravers. I learnt quite a bit about the world in here (more than I did in A Level English). Some much older lads from Worksop (who weren't even at the college used to come in (probably to sell gear)) and educate us about the underworld. Like their trip to see England in the 1990 Italy World Cup, and the effect that E's had had on the hooligan scene. We had all started to going to Raves, and this would affect our focus, what little we had, on our studies. I remember having a spliff in the student union room, I missed A Level Sociology because there was no way I could do that stoned, but I went to Fashion late, I was aware I was stoned, and wanted to slide into the lesson unnoticed. Would you Adam and Eve it, as soon as I walked in and went to my table, (mostly middle aged women and a slightly older than me gay guy) hounded me, "Where have you been", "Have you heard the news?" clearly I hadn't but it was the day John Major got elected as the Prime Minister. Couldn't he have chosen a less conspicuous moment for me?? I really couldn't give a monkeys who was Prime Minister at the time really, I certainly didn't like the Tories, but as far as us youngsters were concerned, it had no place i our lives.
Clearly it was still 1990. This was a fantastic year for music. Although we were getting more into Rave underground music , we would listen to the radio most of the day, the charts at the time were a combination of club music and Madchester, from The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Charlatans to Adamski, 808 State, Dee Light and EMF, and one of my favourite tracks ever Depeche Mode Enjoy the Silence. I did have a long term boyfriend at the time, but ended it when he mentioned the 'M' word, it freaked me out, and had way to much going on in my futuristic brain, it made me feel physically sick, so wham bam, I broke his heart and became a proper Raver.
The Rave Scene was a phenomena, those of us that were young, funky and adventurous couldn't see beyond what we were going to wear, which rave to go to and what experience we were going to try next.
 |
| Lady Miss Kier - an awesome fashion inspiration Deee Lite - Garrooove is in the Heart |
 |
| I made Paul Taylpr (Tina) spend his weeks lunch money on buying Thrills, Pills and Belly Ache so I could copy it Happy Mondays - Step On |
I'm sorry, have I side tracked too much? I have always planned to write a book about this period in my life. It would put hairs on me mums head, but I have some awesome stories I would love to share, now in my mummy period, it seems hard to believe that I got up to this stuff.
Anyway, when things got rough and dark, I got tired too, and turned my back on the scene and it was becoming commercialised anyway (I always blame the Prodigy for this) and therefore wasn't cool anymore.
During this time, a friend told me about a woman that was wanting someone to sew for her business, in a village near where I lived, so introduced me to her. I worked for Sue for a couple of years. She had a couture wedding dress/ evening wear business, and she was my guru. We would make wedding dresses from pure silk, that would cost up to £1500, which was very high end back then. I would spend hours hand sewing, doing yards and yards of hemming, making hundreds of covered buttons, and rouleau loops. Obviously I did many other things, but practice made me perfect, and by the time I left working for Sue, I could make a beautiful ball gown that would be as perfect inside as it was out.
Towards the end of my working time with her I let her down a bit as my raving life style had taken hold of me and I was constantly late, even though it was a 5 minute drive, and when I was there, my head was elsewhere. So I apologise to Sue to this day, as she taught me so much, but I feel I let her down towards the end. Although she did have me back during my Uni years to do a work placement, so I can't have been that bad.
Sue actively encouraged me to study Fashion, she even organised an interview, without application, at Nottingham Trent Poly. They refused me on the grounds that I didn't have enough experience to do a degree. I was possibly 17 at this point. I was also refused entry to Doncaster Art College to do an Art Foundation course, the old boy that interviewed me, was harsh, and having an informal chat with me, told, me, that I wasn't ready for Art college, and needed to explore what else I was into in my life, which was clubbing and raving. Even as an adolescent, I knew this was ill advise, almost an abuse of his power, feeling angry and let down, I took his stupid advice. Lost myself in music.
I cant be specific on dates as I am now 45, and I have had many jobs, done many courses, and done lots of partying in my life, you cant say I have had a boring life. And I will apologise for the quality of some of my pictures, unfortunately we didn't have digital media then, and to print photos was expensive too.
So I had a messy couple of years figuring out what I was doing next, and I apologise to my parents, particularly my mum for worries that I may have caused. It was the early 90's and there was a recession, I left college with 2 more O Levels, 2 A levels and City and Guilds Fashion (over a period of 3 years, this was not a lot to show really for someone that got 120 in a Mensa test the previous year), but I did it). Although, I couldn't get a job.
I was on the dole, long term (I think I had a few part time jobs around this time, but I really was getting a pittance (£2.00 an hour)). I felt like I was a number in the queue in the dole office, depressed from the after affects of the Rave scene, and the fact that I had educated myself, but couldn't find a job/ I got sent on a 'Back To Work' course ( I would end up running and writing such courses 10 years later in Southampton). The back to work courses in 1992 were abysmal, there I was, an attractive young creative, with a load of redundant middle aged suicidal civil engineers. I was depressed for myself, but being around these very talented high earners that had a mortgage to pay, and mouths to feed, was super depressing, I struggled to cope, so left.
Over the next couple of years I was in and out of jobs, some only lasting a week, I worked in at least 4 different pubs, did waitressing, made brides-made dresses from home (disastrous as my head was shot to pieces), worked in a costume factory - even worse, I had a week to make a gigantic bloody dinosaur costume, and couldn't do it, I remember sitting staring at the machine most of the day, completely stuck. and I had to face people) probably a few other jobs I cant remember, but it was tough. No money, no life, no brain and definitely no future. It was a sign of the times.
1993 - 1995 (Aged 21 - 24)
At some point, I got myself together and decided to continue with the Fashion. So I enrolled at Doncaster College of Art for a BTEC in Fashion. Things were on the up, I mucked about a bit, but mostly got on with it. I was one of the older more experienced students, and I embraced learning again and the privileged to create, I turned my life around again.
 |
| BTEC Fashion - Fire Dress |
My tutor (Oli) totally believed in me apparantly she loved my 'eye for colour' and told me she admired my free spirit. We didn't always see eye to eye, probably because of my juvenille sense of humour. Popularity and making people laugh has always been at the forefront of my personality. She was harsh as a course leader, as they generally are, but she recognised talent in me, and made me apply to do a degree. Now this is a massive step in anyones life, certainly a working class girl, who has barely been out of Yorkshire and didn't have a penny to rub together. I had previously moved out of my parents home (93-94 I think - the really crappy years) but moved back as it was so disasterous. Anyway, she virtually made me apply for Uni, but I was fussy, I knew I wasn't in the league for Central St Martins (and didn't fancy London anyway), so I think I chose Newcastle (which at the time was the coolest apart from Central St.Martins and Nottingham Trent (but I wasn't going back there)) University of Central Lancashire and Salford. So I got interviews for them all, all I can remember is going to Newcastle and bumming a lift with someone else from my course. The interview like Nottingham was a disaster, they liked my work, but as I hadn't got the money to display it in the most elaborate way (I recall Oli helping me immensely with this and was grateful for this, but it didn't work), I wasn't of their ilk. Well I don't need you either, I said to myself, and anyway Newcastle would have been a disaster for me. During this period it was known as the pub club hot spot of the UK, and I have never been someone that needs any encouragement.
Anyway, very last minute before the Unis were about to close for the summer, Oli contacted her old mate at Southampton Institute, Carl Baybutt (The course leader was found hanged in the New Forest in 2009 in relation to his treatment by the now University), and on her recommendation, got me an interview. Jeez, how would I get there? How could I afford it? But I went anyway, and low and behold got in.
Thank you for reading so far, I hope you have found it interesting. I will publish part 2 next week.
oh, I can resist one more track from 1990..
Promised Land - Jo Smooth
You've done so well Sarah, can't wait for the next instalment, so interesting hahaha (your poor mum had her hands full hehehe)
ReplyDeleteThey sure did. Thanks Sheila x
DeleteFascinating
ReplyDeleteThanks Gillian x
DeleteCool track I really remember. Its funny sharing your journey having been there from about 1983 to 1993 then here and there through the years after that! Its like a condensed version if your diary. Well done x
ReplyDelete