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 18 July launch.
Bang & Olufsen has announced a two-year partnership with multi-platinum musician, producer, and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winning artist John Legend. Legend joins the brand as Global Brand Ambassador, bringing together one of the world’s most influential artists and a company with more than a century of craftsmanship, design, and acoustic precision to its…
A new collaboration pairs Scotland’s national drink with one of its oldest design traditions. Whisky and tartan have long travelled together. Now, Cask Trade and celebrated Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie have brought the two together in a limited-edition single cask release that celebrates the country’s enduring craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. The collaboration marks the…
Disney is bringing a touch of magic to Silverstone as the British Grand Prix becomes the European stage for its Disney x Formula 1 ‘Fuel the Magic’ campaign. The partnership between two of the world’s biggest entertainment brands will see Disney transforming parts of Silverstone and central London, through a programme of live events and…
The Luxe Review 
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 18 July launch.
Bang & Olufsen lands EGOT-winner John Legend as Global Brand Ambassador
Bang & Olufsen has announced a two-year partnership with multi-platinum musician, producer, and Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winning artist John Legend. Legend joins the brand as Global Brand Ambassador, bringing together one of the world’s most influential artists and a company with more than a century of craftsmanship, design, and acoustic precision to its…
New Nc’nean Cask Trade bottling celebrates Scottish craftsmanship through whisky and tartan
A new collaboration pairs Scotland’s national drink with one of its oldest design traditions. Whisky and tartan have long travelled together. Now, Cask Trade and celebrated Scottish designer Siobhan Mackenzie have brought the two together in a limited-edition single cask release that celebrates the country’s enduring craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. The collaboration marks the…
Disney x Formula 1 race towards Silverstone Grand Prix with massive merch drop
Disney is bringing a touch of magic to Silverstone as the British Grand Prix becomes the European stage for its Disney x Formula 1 ‘Fuel the Magic’ campaign. The partnership between two of the world’s biggest entertainment brands will see Disney transforming parts of Silverstone and central London, through a programme of live events and…
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