Yuca once said something about The Man Who FINALLY/EVENTUALLY Dressed The Mods.
Bang on. 
The press are partly to blame for this, misunderstanding everything and concocting the rest. 
John Lally seemed to show the patience of a saint with that chap from the Independent and his wife.

How do we go about avoiding all the ubiquitous, overwhelming proletarian 'culture' stereotypes? 
It may prove impossible.

This would be really interesting.

I never knew Russel Street in its pomp. Being in Covent Garden it was slightly off my regular circuit of stores. Even when I finally started going there it was just for the amazing selection of footwear.

Based on the passion so many on here have for it I'm fascinated to know what was like in the beginning. Was it Ivy or just about American brands?
What  brands were sold.

John Simons has influenced so many people.

I often wonder if his opening up in Covent Garden in the Eighties and the American merchandise he sold was just a massive coincide with where menswear was at, at the time.
Or if the store influenced the many graphic designers and admen who were drawn to the area and they in turn started to play around with some of those American themes.

It seamed the Eighties were a massive mash-up of everything from 60's soul on TV commercials, James Dean Rebel without a cause, Claxtons Chet images, 501 jeans, Weejuns American sportswear, The Blue Note revival, etc

A JS book would be fantastic if he was the main contributor to the book. I would love to know his thoughts on the shops he owned/ran and the customers he served and the products he sold.  On the few occasions I talked to him it was usually more to do with Architecture, Interior design and furniture rather than clothes.
I actually found out about Russell Street from a young Architect working in the same studio as me. He noticed what clothes I was wearing, said I dressed like his uncle (who he looked up to) in Manchester and asked me if I shopped in Covent Garden. I didn't but we went down there one lunchtime and I was blown away by what was on offer and I became a customer. I used to get a buzz just looking in the window if I was wandering around there, late at night and slightly the worst for wear....

^^^^

You are being proposed as the writer AFS.

Fancy it?

Someone who does have a good literary elements in his style, is AFS. He'll romance it too, if there's no source or reference. Which is a good quality for this mission.

-----

So you reckon AFS then, Mr Smith? But what will happen to Talk Ivy when he starts his project? Surely he won't be able to continue to produce 99% of the posts there and write the book every Ivyist is waiting for. Maybe approach him and perhaps find another?

AFS said:

'Eye ad hopped 2 right  ( the book about John Simons),Shammy, but u c I ave terribl trubbl wiv my spellin an grandma.'

Don 't worry about that the internet - including menswear forums- is full of grammar police who could edit.

Where's the contract?  The chicks?  The cases of vintage wine?  The villa in Tuscany? 
Yuca can take care of the Central American market and Spain. 
I have various contacts in Russia via my friendship with VP. 
The US will not present a problem.

AFS said:


'In truth, no-one - absolutely no-one - is planning to write a biography of John Simons.?  Someone somewhere has simply grasped the wrong end of the stick.'

Oh, really. That's not what JB is saying. You get in first, AFS - or maybe Yuca or Hepcat if they haven't started already. Woof would do a good job but he seems to be focussed on his motorbike.

'Now then, Johnny, have you ever supped at the Spoons in Staines?  You haven't?  Let me tell you, old son, you're missing a treat...  I'll run you there in the motor right now...  Let's just see if the struggle n'strife has finished waxing it...'

Hold everything...  this looks very much to me as if that rogue element Velux is back and has somehow taken over AFSs mind (such as it is) and body.

Bud Shank,

John knew I liked Shank's Bossa stuff and suggested that I give the " with three trombones" album a listen. Superb.

I was not into West Coast Jazz that much until he gave me about 3 or 4 good starting points.

To DW posters, speculating:  There IS NO BOOK.