THE ULTIMATE FASHION HISTORY: The 1980s

In this episode of The Ultimate Fashion History, we head into The Eighties, where fashion was marked by an excess of excess, be it in terms of Power Dressing at the Yuppy end of the economic ladder, or the dandyish New Romantic Blitz Kids struggling on the dole. In the USA, hip hop fashion would burst upon the scene, while in London, Vivienne Westwood's Pirate (and then Buffalo) Collections would rock everybody's casbah. And cutting through all of this excess and flamboyance came Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, bringing with them a whole new fashion aesthetic that would last until today. This episode highlights the fashion and style icons, beauty fads and both the best and the worst of this hit and miss decade.