Centre:MK celebrates 40th anniversary with fashion exhibition

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 4, 2019

Centre:MK is looking back at the fashion and beauty trends that defined the past four decades in a new pop-up exhibition opening at the centre from 25 September.

The initiative is part of the mall’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

As part of a project called ‘Four Decades of Style – 1979 to 2019’, undertaken in collaboration with former Vogue Features Editor, Jo Craven, the shopping centre analysed the best and worst trends of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s according to a survey of 1,000 people.

It found that British shoppers would like knee-high boots, shoulder pads, cargo trousers and leggings to make a comeback, whilst mullets, puffball skirts and underwear as outerwear are considered the most hilarious trends since 1979.

Over 40% of respondents consider the seventies as their most popular decade to revisit, whilst 27% thought power shoulder pads were a standout eighties trend.

Jo Craven, former Vogue Features Editor, commented: “Four decades ago when Centre:MK first opened mobile phones were a futuristic fantasy, the final episode of Fawlty Towers was aired on TV, Harry hadn’t even met Sally and Blondie’s Heart of Glass was Top of the Pops.
 
“40 years on, we may still be listening to Blondie, but the world has changed substantially. But it’s so much fun to identify the icons who still inspire us, the trends we still can’t quite believe were popular and the much-loved and surprise comebacks.”
 
Ed Sellick, asset manager at Hermes Investment Management, on behalf of Centre:K joint owners, added: “As trends have evolved, shopping behaviours have progressed alongside them, completely resetting the retail landscape for the industry throughout the last 40 years. Since centre:MKk opened in 1979 we have always shown our commitment to working with the latest in-demand brands, to establish an offering that will provide a mixed and vibrant forward-focused experience for our customers.”

In addition to the exhibition, the shopping destination will host a ‘Style Fest’ on 28-29 September, with catwalk shows, beauty demonstrations, panel talks and seminars taking place in the main event space Middleton Hall.