THIS ONE SINGLE ISSUE.

LIKE AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DROP DEAD 1985 NEW YORK COOL. AN AMAZINE AND A

HALF. THE DETAILS EAST VILLAGE GUIDE. FIFTY-FIVE PAGES OF INCREDIBLE

VISUAL HISTORY. THE OTHERWISE COMPLETELY UNDOCUMENTED, ULTIMATE FASHION REFERENCE.

You don't see this issue too often. Second time for us. This time it's to be savoured, written about and photographed (and sold, of course). 
 

The pages go block by block through the East Village, counting the streets, along the alphabet of the avenues. These are the days of independent stores, no chains to be broken. Literally hundreds of designer-owned boutiques selling their own clothes.
 

St Marks Pl. The greatest reference to street style and one-off fashion, not least because these images do not exist anywhere else. 
 

It was 1985! That suit. Those suits! This is Lillie and Thierry at Phenomena in stripes by David Francis and Michael Wernerlund. The photograph very likely by Bill Cunningham. 
 

Madonna style. (Again) it was 1985! Ann at Tribe wearing a dress by Clairvoyance. 
 

Stacey wears Amanda Uprichard (who we have heard of and is still going). Skirt matching the pocket is a great touch. This is at Variety Stop, described in the text as 'like you have died and gone to (Catholic) heaven."
 

They loved a patch pocket! 100% has to be a Bill Cunningham photograph. This is Saskia in Hawaiian designer Fumi's boutique. That jacket was $350 then. The guide describes the clothes as 'pricey outfits for those Mary Tyler Boone openings'. That link is worth a read btw. 
 

In other picture news; David Hockney and Keith Haring in, well, their own clothes at Mr Chow's. 
 

Downtown dines uptown. The AREA nightclub bringing literally (artistically) everyone to Mr Chow. 

The issue is a who's who of the New York in the 80's scene. Extra special mention should go to Editor in Chief of Details, Annie Flanders. She died this year - in her 80s. She really did preside over the most amazing magazine. See special issues on this link for proof of that. 

But this is now and this is 1985 and the East Village Guide. It doesn't get more detailed than this issue. Nor more inventive. It was all happening. Recorded in these pages. One copy on the button below.