Swanky Modes of London red lycra and nylon 'Amorphous' dress, circa 1978 labelled, the open-sided design fastened with hoop closures, with cut-out sections.

Swanky Modes was based in London's Camden Town district, and consisted of a team of four young designers: Judy Dewsbury, Melanie Herberfield, Willie Walters and Esme Young. For this dress, the lycra was draped on a stand and had sections of the fabric cut away to create the garment's distinctive look. When laid flat on the floor, the dress resembles an amoeba, or single-cell animal, which led to the designers naming the dress "Amorphous". The resulting form-hugging sheath dress became a popular choice for young nightclub-goers through the 1980s. Lycra is an elastane-based jersey fabric that is easy to care for, crease-resistant, lightweight and comfortable. It springs back into shape and fits closely, which makes it popular for activewear and with body-proud athletes and disco dancers. Disco dancing became popular again following the release of the film Saturday Night Fever in 1978.

Literature: Victoria and Albert Museum