We’ve never been shy of colour here at Ops&Ops, and love the freedom that our styles allow for a rainbow riot. Now, hot on the heels of our latest Barbarella-esque No16 Silver Duo boot comes a vibrant collection inspired by the bold colours, silky textures, and pop-art quality of Tommy Roberts’s Mr Freedom from the late 1960s-early 70s. The larger than life Roberts’ first store was Kleptomania on Carnaby Street. He opened Mr Freedom – named after the 1969 film of the same name by William Klein – with partner Trevour Myles first on the King’s Road, then moving to Kensington High Street. The boutiques were a go-to and their designs attracted the celebs of the day. We adore the cacophony of colour, cheekiness and…
We are delighted to have taken up residence on Redchurch Street in the heart of Shoreditch. Many of you will know we have enjoyed several pop-ups in this space to introduce new styles over the past seasons; and so it is great that this little corner of Shoreditch will be home to Ops&Ops through to the end of August.
They've landed! Our latest collection of colours and finishes, plus a brand-new boot – the No16! For Ops&Ops, just as “safe” hues of brown and blue need not be boring, glittery red and gold aren’t necessarily tacky. We admire classic style icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O as much as we love The Cramps’ Poison Ivy, who rocked bad taste like nobody’s business. So our latest collection brings strong classics in the shape of our No10 flat. There is Bardot Black, a glossy patent, layered in shine and shadow; Midnight Blue a deeply luxurious patent in a colour that’s having a moment, and Claret, a rich, muted burgundy. Plus we have our latest No11 in timeless, saddle-brown Cinnamon. For eye-catching zing we present...
Interested in fashion and style? Curious as to how clothes have helped shape history? Look no further than The Fashion Chronicles: The style stories of History’s best dressed – the latest book by Amber Butchart, fashion historian, lecturer and presenter of BBC’s A Stitch In Time. Amber takes us on a five-thousand year journey, charting the stories of 100 of the most sartorially sharp people in history – from Eve and her fig leaf to Mata Hari to Michelle Obama; Ghengis Khan to Keir Hardie to Malcolm X and Prince. It’s a fascinating jaunt. Packed with great photographs and illustrations, historical context and insight it is both factual and brilliantly entertaining. We caught up with Ops&Ops fan Amber to chat about her latest book and...
Green, in all its shades, is news. The Pantone colour of the year in 2017, it hit the catwalks and is now edging us through spring and into summer. From the high street to the big hitters, Gucci, Marni and Balenciaga among them, green is having a moment. Of course, Ops&Ops have a version with our latest style, the No15 wedge in rich Emerald suede. Green, perhaps more than any colour, can divide. It signals health and nature, money and wealth, rejuvenation and new starts. But also sickness, jealousy and envy. Fashion, too, has had a tempestuous relationship with it. A tricky hue to achieve, in Victorian times high levels of arsenic found their way into cloth dyes, yet by the 1920s it was a...
Who doesn't love the idea of a roadtrip? From short but stunning day-long outings to epic week, even month-long, quests. They can begin and end anywhere. Scenic, off-the-beaten track drives to city hopping, there are no rules. But nowhere are they more taken or mythologised than in the US. Route 66 may be the most lauded, but there are trails to discover and places to find across the continent. Open roads, motels, billboards, stopping at small towns, by-passing big cities, a roadtrip is both going somewhere and a destination itself. Ops&Ops shoes and boots are made for round-the-clock wear. Anywhere at all. So, when our friend, filmmaker and artist Lily Creightmore embarked on her roadtrip to the Californian desert and Joshua Tree National Park up...
Animal Print. It’s on the catwalk, at the shows, in the stores, online – you’ll find Cheetah and Giraffe prints here at Ops&Ops! It’s both classic and modern, ageless and totally now. Always. The fashion for animal prints began in the 1920s with movie stars lending an air of glamour. From collars and trims, post-war its popularity grew. It was the uniform for pin-up girls before Christian Dior, in the 1950s, gave it the haute couture seal of approval. The designer may have cautioned “If you are fair and sweet, don’t wear it,” but he elevated the print, making it chic, elegant and essential. Once the domain of the well-to-do, animal prints became ubiquitous during the 1960s. Givenchy made suits, avant garde Austrian Rudi...
Peace is the latest book, and accompanying exhibition, from RAP – Reel Art Press. Some 59 years after the peace symbol was created, this never-before-seen collection of works by photographer Jim Marshall is truly remarkable. And it could not have come at a more poignant time. Marshall, one of the most celebrated photographers of the last century, is best-known for his pictures of rock-and-roll royalty from the 1960s onwards. Though he also enjoyed a rock-and-roll lifestyle, he always saw himself as a photo-journalist and in between music assignments would document the street life of ordinary people. Peace is Marshall's personal archive of the peace symbol. The symbol was created in 1958 by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It spread quickly to America, going on to become globally...
Ops&Ops are going back to our roots this weekend as our dear friend and ace DJ Jonathan Toubin brings his New York Soul Clap and Dance Off to London Town. Brilliant music and non-stop dancing – it's what Ops&Ops were made for. Jonathan's Soul Clap and Dance Off events are legendary in New York, where he spins night-long sessions of r'n'b and soul 45s – many of them rare and forgotten – from the 1950s and 1960s. A big part of the bash is the dance contest. Any one can take part and pony like boney maroney, do the mash potato, alligator or any steps they choose for the judges. Expect the unexpected, too. You never know who you'll bump into. Ops&Ops joined in last time we were in NYC, and Teri danced her...
So summer is officially here and Ops&Ops are celebrating with a sunny sojourn – we're on sale at POPUP@N1, a collective of independent brands in Islington, north London. At POPUP@N1 you'll find a limited selection of our No10 styles and latest No13 slides, alongside a curated collection of fashion, jewellery and skincare labels. Among them, browse Justine Tabak's boho-inspired dresses and tops; P.i.C Style's locally sourced and made capsule edit; Susy Harper's brilliantly cut separates; and 58 Lifestyle's handcrafted, dreamy products. Out and about in Islington over the next few weeks? POPUP@N1 is open seven days a week, and Ops&Ops will be on sale there through 16 July. Go check it out. POPUP@N1 99 Essex Road, London N1 2SJ Mon-Wed: 11am-6pm Thur: 11am-7pm Fri-Sat: 10am-6pm Sun: 11am-5pm
