Hackney style stars in ‘people’s history’ of British fashion

Style icon: Hoana Poland. Photograph: Nina Manandhar

Local author Nina Manandhar has featured East London heavily in a new book on British popular style, What We Wore.

The book is a collection of photos submitted by people from all over the UK, covering street style from 1950
to 2010.

Published by Prestel, the book includes portraits of Four Aces founder Newton Dunbar, Dalston entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid and founder of Strut boutique Hoana Poland.

Manandhar has previously featured portraits of shoppers on Ridley Road as part of her London photography book, Money On My Oyster. She herself has lived in Hackney for over seven years.

What We Wore includes a series featuring Winston Milton, born and bred in Hackney, who is a friend of the author.

She said: “Hackney has changed so much in the time since these photos were taken. There is a thriving community of creatives here, but it’s really important to me as an artist that the new communities mix with the ones that have been here for years and Winston is a really good example of someone who bridges that divide.”

Manandhar pointed out that the book also traces the lineage of club culture, which has been integral to Hackney’s history – featuring for example Natalie Coleman’s outfit for Labyrinth, established on the site of the old Four Aces club.

The author explained: “It’s great to see how different social spaces have been inhabited by different groups in Hackney’s history.

“Stories about style are an entry point to wider social history for me and the readers.”

What We Wore: A People’s History of British Style is published by Prestel Publishing. RRP: £22.50. ISBN:9783791348988