Glam rocks
SLADE star Jim Lea was clearing out his attic when he discovered suitcases stuffed full of his old touring gear.
Among the flamboyant outfits was one eye-popping bright red lurex suit, with black velvet trim – a rare survivor of a 1970s rock and roll lifestyle.
In the pocket remains the bill for £60 from a London fashion store. And in the suit bag is the sheet music for the Slade hit Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me.
Jim has donated the glamorous stash to the world-famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
This new series delves behind the scenes at museums, uncovering fascinating artefacts that must be preserved and displayed.
Geoffrey Marsh, director of theatre and performance collections at the V&A, says: “We’re looking for things which evoke the era, just beyond the person who wore it or the person who designed it.”
Textile conservator Joanne Hackett is thrilled to see the suit, but wonders how to preserve the areas of material worn away by Jim’s guitar.
The V&A’s workshops and storerooms are a treasure trove, as teams work on some of the two million wonders in the collection.
Also in this episode is a 500-year-old wax model, sculpted by the great Renaissance master Michelangelo, which is being brought out of hibernation.
There’s also a Renaissance watercolour that needs touching up after the curator discovers that the surface is covered in white dots.
And a kimono must be displayed on a mannequin – according to house rules – before it can go on its world tour.