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By Christian Rose Day

At the end of 2009, the management for the forever-young nightlife domain KOKO (in London’s hedonistic Camden) surreptitiously published their Top 5 Best Dressed KOKO Types of the Year. For a club that boasts an ostentatious flirtation with decadence and verve, it’s no surprise the shortlist contains five acts that willingly push the boundaries of fashion and swagger. Although most BrandAlley followers may not see themselves immediately taking up their train of thought, these five could be the shape of things to come. So, boys and girls, let’s have a look at ya.

In 5th place is the Winehouse-esque singer/actress, Paloma Faith. Her style is a confusing mix of various eras and as a general rule she usually only wears vintage. The 24-year-old star of St Trinian’s and The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus borders on the burlesque, perhaps something that was stimulated by her experience as a life model, cabaret artist, and magician’s assistant. Her icons include Edith Piaf and Marilyn Monroe, which is why she probably proffers style tips such as Hollywood red lipstick, platforms adorned with stick-on crystals, and high-waisted skirts to accentuate the midriff. Aside from appearing on Buzzcocks, Jools Holland, and even GMTV in 2009, Paloma was also seen floating around London Fashion Week where she was so impressed by the Ashish show, she ended up wearing his floor-length sequined Statue of Liberty dress at a launch only a few weeks later. She also claims that she’ll never wear Ugg boots.

Fourth spot in the KOKO list goes to the hats, hair and highly patterned materials of Japanese punk-jazz collective, Soil & Pimp Sessions. The high energy riot of Motoharu, Josei, Midoryn, Tabu Zombie, Akita Goldman, and Shacho ‘The Agitator’ unmistakably translates to their cool, crazy, and groovy rainbow-coloured clothing, so it comes as no surprise that their Brownswood Recordings record label boss is über cool producer/DJ, Gilles Peterson. Equal parts skate, hip hop, and, as the name suggests, pimp gangster tailoring, Soil & Pimp Sessions are very fond of dark sunglasses, trilbies, feather boas and super-sculpted facial hair, plus the occasional penchant for colourful shorts (especially Australian brand, Franks).

KOKO’s bronze medal position is claimed by south London’s romantic folktronica, techno-popster, Patrick Wolf. The 25-year-old impish maverick is flamboyantly theatrical with his hair as well as his fashion and having modeled in a previous life (once with Agyness Deyn for Burberry); he’s no stranger to style. Chic, avant-garde, and experimental are his customary cornerstones. Designers such as Fred Butler, Craig Lawrence, and Ada Zanditon not only inspire him, they design for him, and he was seen lauding their praises at their first shows during London Fashion Week. In the same month tragedy descended on the Wolf when his favourite vulture cape went missing after a festival and he issued a public plea for its return. Here’s what he had to say about fashion in 2009: “People think that being provocative is being freaky, but a lot of the time the most provocative thing is when you’re a natural human.”

KOKO’s second favourite trendsetter is the bisexual electro shock rocker, Merrill Beth Nisker, aka Peaches (nothing to do with Geldof). Her brash, futuristic, gender-bending is centered around elements of gold, neon, electric blue, spandex, feather, leather, and vampy pixie boots. The funky, glamorous, and deliberately gaunt looking Canadian – now based in Berlin – is well known for her stage costumes and has worked with stylist Vaughan Alexander, celebrity hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu, and young American designer, John Renaud, on occasion. Her notoriety as a disco punk saw her appear on the cover of art and fashion magazine, Wound, in 2009. Not bad for a lass in her 40s.

And the winner of the 2009 Best Dressed KOKO Type of The Year accolade is BBC London DJ, Sean Rowley. Friend of top rockers Weller and Gallagher – he was one of the two blokes on the front cover of the Oasis ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory’ album – Rowley is also the man who gave the world Guilty Pleasures, the club night which celebrates long forgotten one-hit wonders from a bygone era, replete with dancing girls, confessional, and come-one-come-all fancy dress. Much like his taste in music, Rowley syphons elements of the past with his anti-cool, dandy chap image, which delves into retro suede, pinstriped suits, single tone cardies, dark plush velvet, vibrantly bright scarves, deliciously hirsute facial fuzz, and a gentlemanly foppish mane. Well-done Sean, what what.