A discussion with Peter York.

In the first of an occasional series Bob Morris asks leading cultural commentators ‘WHY MOD’. Yes the question on everybody’s lips for many years has been why Mod (well not everybody but certainly at least two people in the Zani pub), why does it keep coming back into fashion.

You could ask a million ex mods that question and you’d get at least 4 different answers, but I’d like to find out what the world makes of it.

My dalliance with Mod started at school in the late 70’s, taking my influence from the terraces at Upton Park, it was only 15 years after the peak of the original scene in London and was still prevalent on the scooter scene ‘up north’.

I was also knew many of the people in bands during the Brit Pop of the mid 90’s, saw their Mod influences and now things coming full circle with the young football lads wearing lot of Fred Perry listening to Northern Soul and the Jam and lusting after scooters, a Lambretta being a couple grand rather than £50 as my first TV175 cost.

So over the next few months I’m going to track down media and fashion experts to try ascertain why it keeps reinventing itself every generation.

Peter York started in marketing with industry legend Conrad Jameson in the late 70’s he was also a journalist for Harpers and Queen amongst others and set up his own agency SRD in the 80’s. Helped define the Slone Ranger style in ‘the official slone ranger handbook’ he’s even written books about dictator’s homes and recently appeared on the culture show waxing lyrically about the cult of ‘Business Books’.

After discussing overcoats and shoes, we spoke about the influence of Mod and why it keeps becoming fashionable. ‘Essentially it’s a very British movement, taking parts of Europe fashion and black America music, created by people that didn’t want to be British or associate with ‘grey Britain’. The fantastic thing they do is to take it, create it and sell it back to them’. I chimed in with the slogan we used in the ‘80s ‘Adopt, Adapt, improve’ Peter liked that but I had to admit we nicked (nah adapted) it from a Corby trouser press ad.



He continued ‘they were aspiration but not in a traditional sense they put their aspirations on their backs’. Mod seems to raise its head during times of recession, I put it down to the cockney idea of dressing up when you’re down at heel. Always wanting to look better than your guvnors. Therefore bridging the social divide. Peter took a different turn on it. ‘Politically dressing up for working class youth will always pull them out of their surroundings and class, they were political in this respect however you wouldn’t find a Mod attending a political meeting as part of scene, latter-day or otherwise. Their politics were geographical many of them in 60’s came from run down grim old London’ or new grey London of the suburbs. They also are showing the class struggle by hanging in the west end and wearing the latest fashions, until they actually become fashionable.

They brought colour into the grey Britain of the 60’s, which was incredible important to the 60’s socio-political movement, which has allowed the country to become so culturally and class diverse today. They started a movement that adopted many aspects, attitudes of fashion and class package them together and selling them back to the world. It’s endearing element is all of the above and that could be what makes it so endearing to young people across the generations.’ On a side note Peter did impart a classic piece of information during the 60’s the DuPont brand used ‘better living through chemistry’ as their company slogan which I think we can safely say is a very British cool line that would fit almost all the decent fashions of the last 50 years. If only we knew at the time or during the rave scene, but it’s going on my next scooter.

Peter York is still running SRD as a business  strategists and moving away from brands to working institutions such as the BBC, the British Council and various galleries and museums. He’s very nice man.



© Words – Bob Morris/ ZANI Media

SIDE BAR we asked 10 fat ex Mods why it keeps coming back’

‘Skinheads are Gay’ Drew Barking
‘Style everytime’ Paul Hallam, Snodley-under-wold
‘Casuals always been around buts never been a movement’ Bish W1
‘Mods Rule’ Little Terry Romford
‘Everything else is Gay’ Bod Barking
‘Cos you’d look silly in bondage trousers at our age’ Kev Manor Park
‘KAPOW’ Martin the Psych Cuffley
‘Always smart’ Mappy Walthamstow
‘Touched by the hand of Mod’ Brian Stratford
‘It’s not called a movement because it’s stands still’ Bob Forest Gate