The Clothes Show
British fashion television show with a live event legacy.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The Clothes Show was a British television programme about fashion, first broadcast on BBC One from 1986 to 1998, and later revived on UKTV Style and Really from 2006 to 2009. At its peak, it attracted around 9 million viewers each Sunday and spawned a live event that continued until 2017.
- field
- Fashion television
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Fashion reporting and the Clothes Show Live event
- first_broadcast
- 13 October 1986
- original_network
- BBC One
- peak_viewership
- Around 9 million per episode
Lore & Background
The Clothes Show first aired on 13 October 1986, hosted by Selina Scott and Jeff Banks. It combined catwalk reports with tips on achieving a high-fashion look on a budget. Caryn Franklin later joined as co-host after Scott left. Other presenters over the years included Margherita Taylor, Tim Vincent, Richard Jobson, and Brenda Emmanus. Series producers included Collette Foster and Jane Lomas, who had been a presenter on the earliest shows.
In 1989, the annual Clothes Show Live event launched at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre, and a magazine accompanied the programme. The BBC series ended in April 1998. The show was resurrected on UKTV Style in 2006, hosted by Louise Redknapp, Caryn Franklin, and Brendan Courtney, and moved to Really in 2009. A YouTube series called 'Clothes Show TV' began in 2013 and continued until 2018.
The show's original theme music was a remix of Five Star's 'Find the Time'. From 1987, the theme was an excerpt from Arthur Baker's remix of Pet Shop Boys' 'In The Night'. In 1995, Pet Shop Boys remixed the theme for a revamped version; Saint Etienne also produced a theme that was turned down.
Reader's Guide
The Clothes Show was a significant force in British fashion television, drawing millions of weekly viewers and bridging high fashion with accessible style advice. Its longevity—spanning two BBC runs and a later revival—demonstrates its cultural impact. The Clothes Show Live event outlived the TV show, running annually in Birmingham until 2016 and concluding in Liverpool in July 2017. The programme's influence extended to a magazine and later a YouTube series, showing its adaptability. By combining catwalk coverage with practical budgeting tips, it democratized fashion for a broad audience. The show also featured notable presenters and producers who shaped its direction, and its theme music collaborations with Pet Shop Boys and Saint Etienne highlighted its pop-culture connections.
Did You Know?
- The Clothes Show first aired on 13 October 1986 with hosts Selina Scott and Jeff Banks.
- At its height, the show had around 9 million viewers each Sunday.
- The Clothes Show Live event was launched in 1989 at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre and continued until 2017.
- Pet Shop Boys remixed the show's theme tune in 1995 for a revamped version.
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