Thatcher would be overthrown by the end of 1990 and a more optimistic mood would sweep Britain over the coming decades. By the time 1988 and the Second Summer of Love came around, Britain was changing. Another swathe of the population, however, was appalled by the chaos that the Thatcher-led government’s policies caused, and many working class towns still bear the scars of the era. Her supporters saw her as a necessary change to the established order, and the privatisation and deregulation that followed was welcomed. Thatcher’s government was polarising, and her legacy is still a point of contention. “It was about democracy, it was about freedom, it was about openness, not being corporate, not having a set of rules and regulations.” “I feel that we are living in very divisive times,” explains Gary Aspden, founder of adidas Spezial, “that in some ways remind me of those early years that preceded Acid House.” For Aspden, and for many others, Acid House served as an antidote to an era of British politics characterized by strikes and riots, with Margaret Thatcher’s right-wing government winning a third successive election on the eve of the Second Summer of Love. The reason for the style’s endurance lay in the roots of the scene, with Acid House’s origins as a response to the political climate being an important part of its modern day-relevance. “It’s a shame that the historic pictures of that era only reflected the initial few months where the Ibiza-hippie look was adopted,” Farley explains, “the 1988 to 1990 period saw loads of Acid House looks and styles, leather trousers and motorcycle boots to girls in clogs and Pam Hogg womenswear.” Farley also points to dungarees and Vivienne Westwood “Care Bear” T-shirts as “symbolic of the time.” Although, for Farley, the look was more varied than the typical recollection. Terry Farley, founder of Boy’s Own - a zine that came to be known as the “village newsletter of Acid House” - also remembers the “anti-fashion” roots of the scene. For Cartledge, the Acid House style was also a natural contrast to the fashion that had preceded it, describing it as “a reaction to the ‘80s designer looks that had gone before.” “It was very hot in the clubs, so the clothing was loose,” Cartledge adds, pointing to brands including St ü ssy, Komodo and Mash as well as clothing imported from Thailand and Bali. “The Second Summer of Love style was baggy,” remembers Fiona Cartledge, designer and owner of the influential Sign of the Times store, a focal point of the London rave scene known for stocking emerging designers. The classic style of that time was derived through function rather than form. “Commodities will never be an ample substitute for experiences, but they can be a good vehicle for communication.” The rave inspiration also found its way to Versace, where bright colors and clashing patterns were a centerpoint of the Italian brand’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection. Gosha Rubchinskiy’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection owes a clear debt to Acid House, while labels including Cactus Plant Flea Market, AMI and Chinatown Market have all repurposed the ubiquitous smiley face motif. In addition to these explicit references to the Second Summer of Love, the culture’s influence can be traced in other collections. Similarly, both adidas Spezial and Nike ACG paid tribute to the era with their Spring/Summer 2018 collections. Gucci marked the anniversary by partnering with Frieze on a new video project featuring artists Jeremy Deller, Wu Tsang and Arthur Jafa. With the 30th anniversary of the summer of ‘88 upon us, brands have taken the opportunity to celebrate the cultural moment and its influence.

With political tensions and reactionary leaders once again on the rise across the world, the Second Summer of Love has increasingly become a fashion industry reference point for an alternative. The importance of the culture is not limited to its musical lineage. Although short-lived, the era’s influence on club culture and dance music is still felt 30 years later.

The summer of 1988 kickstarted the so-called Second Summer of Love, a brief but important cultural moment that all but faded away just two years later. Soundtracked by a new subgenre of music known as Acid House, raves quickly spread across the country, with parties in nightclubs, gyms and fields attracting thousands of attendees. Against a backdrop of fractured right-wing politics and the arrival of ecstasy, a new youth culture movement began. In the late 1980s, a generation of young DJs returned from Ibiza to the United Kingdom with visions for a new clubbing experience.

In love with fashion love