John Bates: Fashion Designer

'John Bates came onto the London Fashion scene like a bolt of blue light, trailing sparks of excitement, designing the shortest skirts, the swiftest shapes, the surest colours. He had an unswerving instinct for what was new, modern, cutting edge' - Marit Allen. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, John Bates dominated the British fashion scene with a unique brand of style and innovation. No other designer had such a comprehensive influence on what the UK wore. Diana Rigg wore his designs in "The Avengers", and the press went wild.Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield sang in them; Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy and Penelope Tree modelled; David Bailey, Terence Donovan and Helmut Newton photographed. At every level, from shop girl to pop star, debutante and banker's wife, his label Jean Varon offered a must-have dress for a party, short or long, empire line or mini. He gave fashion-conscious women the chance to wear dresses featured extensively in the pages of "Vogue", "Harpers Bazaar", and "Queen Magazine" and bridged the gap between High Street retailing and couture like no other. Richard Lester's text is based on detailed interviews with John Bates, covering his entire career in fashion. In addition the book features contributions from Felicity Green, Deidre McSharry, Brigid Keenan, Barbara Griggs, Sian Phillips and other key figures from the fashion industry, cultural scene and media of the time.

Richard Lester trained with Sotheby's in the early 1990s having worked for Osborne & Little and Liberty and combines writing with running an online vintage fashion business based in Sussex. In 2004 he donated a large collection of designs by John Bates to the Fashion Museum in Bath and assisted in organizing the designer's retrospective exhibition at the museum in 2006.