Leigh Bowery and 80s London club Taboo celebrated in Outlaws exhibition

The Fashion Textile Museum in London is hosting 'Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London,' a show dedicated to Leigh Bowery and the legendary nightclub Taboo, which he founded in 1985. Curated by Martin Green, Duovision Arts, and NJ Stevenson, with artistic direction by David Cabaret, the exhibition runs until March. It features original garments and accessories by Bowery and over thirty designers, including John Galliano, John Flett, Stephen Linard, and Dean Bright, alongside photographs, films, and artworks. Taboo operated for only 18 months in a dark corner of Leicester Square, succeeding the Blitz Club in Covent Garden where the New Romantics and Blitz Kids movements emerged. The club served as a safe space for marginalized communities, championing freedom of expression, hedonistic excess, and fluid identity. Bowery, who died of AIDS on New Year's Eve 1994, was a performer, stylist, and artist whose DIY, excessive, and experimental approach to fashion emphasized individuality over mass consumption. His legacy continues to inspire generations.