THE Blitz Club

In 2021 I shot and directed Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story for Sky Arts. It headlined film festivals in Austin Texas and Sydney Australia.

A shorter edit of the film was featured in Blitz: The Club that Shaped the 80s at the Design Museum in London from 20/09/25 - 29/03/26.

The Blitz was a dingy nightclub in Covent Garden from 1979 to 1981. It only lasted for eighteen months but the bunch of misfit kids that went there every Tuesday night would go on to shape British fashion and culture for decades. Here are some of my favourite contributors.

Elly Jackson aka La Roux. Pop star.

“I was too young so I was never there but it has had a huge influence on me.” — Elly Jackson aka La Roux. Pop star. “I was too young so I was never there but it has had a huge influence on me.”

Dylan Jones. Broadcaster/writer.

“It went from The Blitz to the high street very quickly. Suddenly Princess Diana is wearing a frilly pie crust shirt straight out of The Blitz. Then out of towners started coming and something in it died.” — Dylan Jones. Broadcaster/writer. “It went from The Blitz to the high street very quickly. Suddenly Princess Diana is wearing a frilly pie crust shirt straight out of The Blitz. Then out of towners started coming and something in it died.”

Marilyn. Pop star.

“I just thought they were a bunch of posers. I didn’t like the people, I didn’t like the music, all that electronic crap, that stupid dance…urgh!” — Marilyn. Pop star. “I just thought they were a bunch of posers. I didn’t like the people, I didn’t like the music, all that electronic crap, that stupid dance…urgh!”

Princess Julia. DJ

“Yes we dressed up but it was all about the music for me. That pulsating four to the floor.” — Princess Julia. DJ “Yes we dressed up but it was all about the music for me. That pulsating four to the floor.”

Midge Ure. Pop star. Ultravox and Live Aid founder.

“With the advent of the synthesiser suddenly the only thing holding you back was the limits of your own imagination.” — Midge Ure. Pop star. Ultravox and Live Aid founder. “With the advent of the synthesiser suddenly the only thing holding you back was the limits of your own imagination.”

Stephen Jones. Milliner to the stars.

“It was a very British phenomenon, that mixture of fashion and music. I mean have you seen how the French punks dress, or how the Italians dance!!??” — Stephen Jones. Milliner to the stars. “It was a very British phenomenon, that mixture of fashion and music. I mean have you seen how the French punks dress, or how the Italians dance!!??”

Michele Clapton. Emmy Award winning costume designer.

“God it was such a joy. I remember the first time I went there just thinking, ‘This is it, this is my tribe.” — Michele Clapton. Emmy Award winning costume designer. “God it was such a joy. I remember the first time I went there just thinking, ‘This is it, this is my tribe.”

Gary Kemp. Musician, founding member of Spandau Ballet.

“We knew the next decade, the ‘80s, was going to be different. It was going to be our decade and it was going to be in colour!” — Gary Kemp. Musician, founding member of Spandau Ballet. “We knew the next decade, the ‘80s, was going to be different. It was going to be our decade and it was going to be in colour!”

Fiona Dealey. Costume designer.

“We, the Saint Martins crowd, we were so pretentious. You’d never see us smiling in photographs. I’d still rather have been at Studio 54.” — Fiona Dealey. Costume designer. “We, the Saint Martins crowd, we were so pretentious. You’d never see us smiling in photographs. I’d still rather have been at Studio 54.”