A Life in Leather: profile of Aero founder Ken Calder

[Sloan1874]

Oh, I thought she was the girl in that black leather suit...

Hehe. Apologies, Cuthbert. That's Suzi Quatro during her early 70's finery (as created by Ken!). She was a bit of Glam Rock star in her time before going on to star in Happy Days. If you check YouTube, you'll find some very cool footage. Another famous, in the UK, bit of footage featuring Ken's work is a performance of Maggie May by The Faces on Top of the Pops - they're wearing mismatched suits. Ken said that he gave them the suits and they all swapped jackets with each other before going on.

 

[majormajor]

Another famous, in the UK, bit of footage featuring Ken's work is a performance of Maggie May by The Faces on Top of the Pops - they're wearing mismatched suits. Ken said that he gave them the suits and they all swapped jackets with each other before going on.

Here it is:

[video=youtube;0l7cE_gTw3w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l7cE_gTw3w[/video]

Perhaps an urban myth about the swapped suits, though.

The only "mismatched" look is Ronnie Wood, but if you look at the lapels, it is a suit.

 

[Sloan1874]

Here it is:

[video=youtube;0l7cE_gTw3w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l7cE_gTw3w[/video]

Perhaps an urban myth about the swapped suits, though.

The only "mismatched" look is Ronnie Wood, but if you look at the lapels, it is a suit.

Well Ronnie Lane is wearing Ronnie Wood's jacket, I can't see what Kenny Jones is wearing though - the fact that Ken made the suits for them and was there when they switched around, much to his bemusement, lifts it above urban myth. There was so much I had to leave out: former Pink Floyd singer Syd Barrett was a mate of Ken's, he used to come around and serenade his dog; then there was the time he kicked out the Donna Karan rep when he tried to knock down the unit price they wanted to pay for a jacket they asked Ken to design for them. All great stories.
Ah well, you can't have it all. Where would you put it?

 

[majormajor]

Well Ronnie Lane is wearing Ronnie Wood's jacket.

I thought that at first, but it you look - he isn't. Ronnie Wood's lapels match his trousers, so it IS a suit. Ronnie Lane's jacket is a deeper shade of yellow - and he's wearing faded loons/jeans. Rod Stewart and Ian McLagan both appear to be wearing complete suits

PS. I'd love to hear all the stories from Ken.

Syd Barrett was as barmy as a box of frogs, so gotta be some good tales there........

BTW, Syd left Floyd in 1968, but Donna Karan did not start trading in her own name until 1985. A whole lot of stuff must've happened inbetween!!:eeek:

 

[rocketeer]

Good old Top of the Pops, no leads on the guitars as usual

 

[Sloan1874]

I thought that at first, but it you look - he isn't. Ronnie Wood's lapels match his trousers, so it IS a suit. Ronnie Lane's jacket is a deeper shade of yellow - and he's wearing faded loons/jeans. Rod Stewart and Ian McLagan both appear to be wearing complete suits

PS. I'd love to hear all the stories from Ken.

Syd Barrett was as barmy as a box of frogs, so gotta be some good tales there........

Ach well, Ken tells a good story, and I'm happy to give him it. Here's a little Suzi Q in her leather suit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYoogY-UGio

 

[cuthbert]

Hehe. Apologies, Cuthbert. That's Suzi Quatro during her early 70's finery (as created by Ken!). She was a bit of Glam Rock star in her time before going on to star in Happy Days. If you check YouTube, you'll find some very cool footage. Another famous, in the UK, bit of footage featuring Ken's work is a performance of Maggie May by The Faces on Top of the Pops - they're wearing mismatched suits. Ken said that he gave them the suits and they all swapped jackets with each other before going on.

Just joking, I saw the movie Biker Girl.

 

[Sloan1874]

Just joking, I saw the movie Biker Girl.

D'oh. I daren't assume anything on the FL.

 

[majormajor]

I saw the Faces live at Leeds University in 1971.

Ronnie Lane, bless him, did almost the whole gig laid on his back.

Rod Stewart spent the finale kicking footballs into the balcony. Happy days

 

[Peacoat]

Ah, those were the days. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood are just too cool. I especially like the hop and spin move Rod does toward the beginning of the video. It shows how young he was. Thanks for posting; really takes me back.

 

[Sloan1874]

Ah, those were the days. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood are just too cool. I especially like the hop and spin move Rod does toward the beginning of the video. It shows how young he was. Thanks for posting; really takes me back.

The guy playing the mandolin - well, at least he's holding the mandolin - is John Peel, a famous and influential Brit DJ. He died suddenly a few years ago, but there is a stage named after him at the Glastonbury Festival as is a wing in the new BBC HQ in Manchester. His record collection is the stuff of myth, and even his children are DJs now too.

 

[rocketeer]

Ach well, Ken tells a good story, and I'm happy to give him it. Here's a little Suzi Q in her leather suit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYoogY-UGio

Oh Suuuuuuuzi! We all loved Suzi.
Who said the 1970s were the decade that fashion forgot? You had to have lived it to appreciate it. The fashion, the music, everything was so diverse.
We had:
Glam-Sweet, Slade, T Rex, Suzi
Skinheads. Ok they were a hangover from the 1960s Reggae/Ska
Teddy Boys, Rock n Roll
Punks. Clash, Pistols
Disco(Smoothies) Bee Gee's, Tavares, Gloria Gaynor and my personal fave, Tina Charles.

But what on earth was Can the Can about? Who cared as long as Suzi wore that outfit

 

[Asienizen]

It was a fairly interesting article, I didn't know that his company was as popular among the rich and famous as it is. I feel like the article could have been a bit longer though - it seemed a bit brief.

 

[Sloan1874]

It was a fairly interesting article, I didn't know that his company was as popular among the rich and famous as it is. I feel like the article could have been a bit longer though - it seemed a bit brief.

"Fairly interesting" - you're a tough audience :-D. I'm afraid it was for my paper's Sunday supplement rather than an on-line article, so space was limited. This was actually a two-page spread, which is more than similar fashion subjects would get.

 

[majormajor]

Ah, those were the days. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood are just too cool. I especially like the hop and spin move Rod does toward the beginning of the video. It shows how young he was. Thanks for posting; really takes me back.

That move that Rod does is a dance move that was popular in the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester, one of the original RnB/Mod clubs in the UK. Rod appeared there a few times in the 1960's with Long John Baldry and Steampacket.

The Twisted Wheel (which closed in 1971) was revived about 10 years ago, and is still going (although it is gonna close again, soon).

There are folks who danced there in 1966 who are STILL doing those dance moves now:eeek:

 

[jon11]

The article Craig in my opinion was great. J

 

[Fanch]

The article Craig in my opinion was great. J

That was a fantastic article and also interesting reading about a bunch of guys that grew up in the 70's. Although my coming of age was the 50's, I find all of this immensely interesting.

 

[Hammer Down]

I wonder if Craig or DiCaprio gave their jackets to their gardeners to break in first? Ha, probably not. Leave that to aristocratic Lords and their tweed suits.

Great article. Nice balance of old and new celebrity name-dropping that Sunday newspaper readers would find interesting ,and meaty historical details that insiders and Loungers dig.

That's cool how Ken played rhythm in the day and wrote songs. Didn't know that. I'm not surprised. Creative man, to be sure.

 

[Sloan1874]

I wonder if Craig or DiCaprio gave their jackets to their gardeners to break in first? Ha, probably not. Leave that to aristocratic Lords and their tweed suits.

Great article. Nice balance of old and new celebrity name-dropping that Sunday newspaper readers would find interesting ,and meaty historical details that insiders and Loungers dig.

That's cool how Ken played rhythm in the day and wrote songs. Didn't know that. I'm not surprised. Creative man, to be sure.

He also used to play football with Ridley and Tony Scott. God, the amount I had to cut out...

 

[jimmer_5]

He also used to play football with Ridley and Tony Scott. God, the amount I had to cut out...

I'm sure we'd all love to read the unabridged version if you can post it here. Not sure if your work would allow it, but I thought it was worth a shot.....