Emerging around the same time as London’s house music scene and created by some of those responsible, Boy’s Own documented the acid house revolution from within. First unleashed in 1986 by Terry Farley, Cymon Eckel, Steve Mayes, Steve Hall and the late Andrew Weatherall, it folded clubbing and football’s terrace culture into each other with a sharp, satirical insiders’ take on the fashion and music that connected both worlds.
Full of spelling mistakes, designed with Pritt Stick, and often typed up by Farley’s mum, Boy’s Own became not just the voice of an era but a catalyst for many of its most influential parties and anthems, evolving into Boy’s Own Recordings and later the Junior Boy’s Own label. Each member brought their own unfiltered opinions on the state of football or London clubland, but regular contributions from the likes of fellow DJ and promoter Paul Oakenfold and acid house photographer Dave Swindells help reflect just how integral to the scene their zine was.
Reimagined as a series of tees, the raw DIY feel of the artwork handpicked for Collection No.1 resonates even more now than it did then. While the gang were busy living it at the time, looking back now we know exactly how much of an influence Boy’s Own had on British dance music history, and in turn contemporary fashion and street culture. If the scarcity and high price of original issues is anything to go by, this 40p zine’s enduring relevance is already assured. “Even after a few years off we’ve not had to create an all-new Boy’s Own,” explains Cymon Eckel. “We just applied a fresh lens that fits today’s landscape while remaining true to the emotion, politics and cultural responsibility we set out with.
Color- Black White
Significations - 100% Cotton Woven, Measurements (size M) - Chest: 52 cm. Length: 75 cm.
