London’s goth history is crawling back out of the crypt – and it has brought some excellent clothes with it.
Cult British label PURE SEX has officially relaunched after more than three decades, beginning its new era with an exclusive collaboration celebrating The Batcave: the seminal Soho club widely credited with helping to shape Britain’s goth scene.
The collaboration was unveiled at ARO Archive in Shoreditch, kicking off a week long exclusive pop-up featuring the new capsule collection alongside rare garments, photography and ephemera from The Batcave archive.
Founded by Dave Darcy in the mid-1980s after his departure from BOY London, PURE SEX drew heavily upon London’s post-punk and DIY cultures. Its Kensington Market boutique became known for vinyl dresses, studded harnesses and serious attitude.
The Batcave, meanwhile, opened in 1982 as a weekly club night for founders Jon Klein and Ollie Wisdom’s band Specimen. Its famous dancefloor would go on to attract figures including Nick Cave, Robert Smith and members of Bauhaus, becoming a meeting place for the capital’s emerging alternative scene before “goth” had settled into a clearly defined identity.
Four decades later, the aesthetic has lost none of its bite, with a fresh flock of young Londoners discovering darkwave music, archival clubwear and kohl-lined eyes afresh.
Arriving during Punk 50, the Shoreditch exhibition marks the opening chapter in a broader cultural and archival programme planned around PURE SEX – watch this space, and don’t forget your eyeliner.
PURE SEX × The Batcave is at ARO Archive, 1–3 French Place, Shoreditch, London E1 6JB, for one week following its July18 launch.
Bose is bringing noise cancellation to wired earbuds with a fashionable new USB-C model that needs no Bluetooth pairing or charging. The launch comes as interest in wired listening booms. The new buds combine a direct USB-C connection with proprietary QuietControl noise cancellation and a built-in microphone system designed for clearer calls. There’s no Bluetooth…
Ever wished you could go back to 1986 and see Freddie Mercury command a stadium in his absolute prime? London is about to offer the next best thing. On Saturday 3 October, Camden’s Roundhouse will transform into a giant Queen gig for Queen Budapest: The Concert Film Experience, an immersive screening of the band’s legendary…
There’s something pleasingly unexpected about finding one of Holborn’s most colourful dining rooms hiding inside a hotel. Midtown Bar & Dining, tucked inside NYX Hotel London Holborn, is not interested in the typical anonymous hotel-restaurant beige. Instead, think velvet seats, glossy interiors, vibrant art, statement lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows which cry out for Central London…
London’s goth history is crawling back out of the crypt – and it has brought some excellent clothes with it.
Cult British label PURE SEX has officially relaunched after more than three decades, beginning its new era with an exclusive collaboration celebrating The Batcave: the seminal Soho club widely credited with helping to shape Britain’s goth scene.
The collaboration was unveiled at ARO Archive in Shoreditch, kicking off a week long exclusive pop-up featuring the new capsule collection alongside rare garments, photography and ephemera from The Batcave archive.
Founded by Dave Darcy in the mid-1980s after his departure from BOY London, PURE SEX drew heavily upon London’s post-punk and DIY cultures. Its Kensington Market boutique became known for vinyl dresses, studded harnesses and serious attitude.
The Batcave, meanwhile, opened in 1982 as a weekly club night for founders Jon Klein and Ollie Wisdom’s band Specimen. Its famous dancefloor would go on to attract figures including Nick Cave, Robert Smith and members of Bauhaus, becoming a meeting place for the capital’s emerging alternative scene before “goth” had settled into a clearly defined identity.
Four decades later, the aesthetic has lost none of its bite, with a fresh flock of young Londoners discovering darkwave music, archival clubwear and kohl-lined eyes afresh.
Arriving during Punk 50, the Shoreditch exhibition marks the opening chapter in a broader cultural and archival programme planned around PURE SEX – watch this space, and don’t forget your eyeliner.
PURE SEX × The Batcave is at ARO Archive, 1–3 French Place, Shoreditch, London E1 6JB, for one week following its July18 launch.
Bose brings noise cancelling to wired earbuds with trendy new USB-C earphones
Bose is bringing noise cancellation to wired earbuds with a fashionable new USB-C model that needs no Bluetooth pairing or charging. The launch comes as interest in wired listening booms. The new buds combine a direct USB-C connection with proprietary QuietControl noise cancellation and a built-in microphone system designed for clearer calls. There’s no Bluetooth…
The Roundhouse is turning into a giant Queen gig – and it’s the closest you’ll get to seeing Freddie Mercury live
Ever wished you could go back to 1986 and see Freddie Mercury command a stadium in his absolute prime? London is about to offer the next best thing. On Saturday 3 October, Camden’s Roundhouse will transform into a giant Queen gig for Queen Budapest: The Concert Film Experience, an immersive screening of the band’s legendary…
Midtown Holborn review: Big burgers, gin cocktails and seriously stylish surroundings
There’s something pleasingly unexpected about finding one of Holborn’s most colourful dining rooms hiding inside a hotel. Midtown Bar & Dining, tucked inside NYX Hotel London Holborn, is not interested in the typical anonymous hotel-restaurant beige. Instead, think velvet seats, glossy interiors, vibrant art, statement lighting and floor-to-ceiling windows which cry out for Central London…
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