John Stephen

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John Stephen was a Glaswegian clothes designer who had several shops on London's Carnaby Street. He is remembered as one of the main figures in creating Swinging London^[1]. He died of cancer in 2004.

[edit] Career

Before moving to London, Stephen was a welder's apprentice. He moved to London from Glasgow in 1952 at the age of 18, and set up his first shop (called "His Clothes") within four years^[2], in Beak Street. In 1959, he moved to Carnaby Street and set up the first clothes shop there. By 1965, he owned eight shops on the street, selling clothes to bands such as The Small Faces, and boasting David Bowie as a designer. However, accusations of poor quality led to his selling many of his shops. His complete archive is now maintained by the Victoria & Albert Museum, and in 2005, Westminster City Council unveiled a plaque on Carnaby Street commemorating his influence on fashion.