Christopher Ward, of the Daily Mirror, and Fanny Brown inside a magically decorated flat, above and below, with flocking by Stan Peskett.
Victorians and Edwardians loved flocked papers --- they had rich and solid qualities. Indian restaurants adopted them, and the flocked restaurant was everywhere, also the flock and tinsel greetings card --- and this became fashionable kitsch. Now there is the well-flocked home with flocking gone quite wild --- wall to wall, up the wall, indoors and out of doors because it's waterproof --- any surface, small or large, metal or glass, car, window, swimming pool, can be sprayed. Flocking is brilliant and tactile. You might want to stroke it but would you want to drink from a fuzzy glass? Think of Duchamp's original fur-covered cup and saucer, and your thirst has vanished. Flocking is highly decorative. Stan Peskett, designer, flocks amazing things like Christopher Ward's flat. Ian Maitland solved his technical problems with an electrical charging machine that sprays the rayon and nylon fibres on to a glued surface. Stan Peskett has plans for a flocked cinema foyer, whole table settings, and with Alan Fuller for Anderson Manson has flocked pattern in the new Baccarat shops at Harrods and McDonalds, Glasgow.
Memories of Duchamp: spot and stars flocked teaset by Stan Peskett for Anderson Manson.
A tiger on your tyres: this tigerskin flocked car incredibly detailed in real tiger shades and with longer than usual fuzz- 1/2 in. Sprayed for Trevor Miles by the Electric Colour Co, who also decorated his new fifties' shop, Paradise Garage.
Photos by Tim Street-Porter for Vogue UK, August 1971.