The Haçienda: be part of history in the 40th anniversary celebrations

From May 21st 1982 until June 28th 1997, The Haçienda influenced some of the most exciting and game-changing moments of 20th Century youth culture. In celebration of this special anniversary, a unique book is being compiled to reflect the fashions and styles of the time.

Haçienda Threads – The Untold Story will shift the focus away from the already well-documented music innovations spawned within the venue’s many walls, instead exploring the styles and fashions worn by those who frequented the club during its decade-spanning heyday.

The evolving and eclectic styles seen at The Haçienda across the years create their own unique story of change, creativity, aspiration and innovation: from the DIY looks of the post-punk early-80s – when Linder Sterling performed live in a dress made from raw meat (pre-dating Lady Gaga’s version at the 2010 MTV Awards) – to the kitsch-sexy costumes of its LGBT Flesh night, plus the dress-to-sweat ethos of Acid House, Madchester and beyond.

Curated and compiled by a team headed up by Rebecca Hook and written by James Anderson, Haçienda Threads will feature a wealth of rare and previously unpublished photographs of the club’s everyday ravers, local heroes and international music icons alike, whose collective explorations with fashion and style back in the day have since gone on to influence high profile fashion designers and luxury brands including Raf Simons, Kim Jones, Martine Rose, Versace and Balenciaga, among many others.

The team are putting out a request to anyone who came to The Haçienda itself, any of its associated club nights, or Haçienda Classical events to submit scanned copies from their personal photograph collections with a view of them being included in the book and, therefore, being a part of the clubs unique history.

The photos do not have to be of great quality, but they must illustrate the fashion, style and passion of the era. They can be images taken from inside the club itself – maybe from when Madonna made her UK debut – or at pre-club or post-club parties. The photos could feature the clothing shops at the time such as Geese, Royal Exchange Design Centre, Richard Creme, Hervia, Afflecks Palace (also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year) or inside some of the legendary ‘hang out’ places like Dry Bar, Spin Inn, Piccadilly Records, Eastern Bloc Records, The Underground Market or The Corn Exchange. All images submitted will be considered for inclusion in the book.

The archive – lovingly curated within Haçienda Threads – The Untold Story – will be interspersed with a selection of first-person recollections, memories and interviews, documenting the ‘closet-to-dancefloor’ journeys of those who were there at the time.

Rebecca Hook explains the idea behind the book: “We felt it was time to focus on celebrating the positive side of The Hacienda’s history – the culture, energy and style of the club. We want to make this book inclusive – something where every Haçienda clubber, past and present, can be celebrated. We’ve already had some fantastic unseen pictures shared, so the book promises to be very special.”

To be part of this historical document please email any Haçienda memory recollections and/or images to: [email protected]