Showing Off

"It was just a bit of fun really. An excuse for another party. I held it in my first studio, a converted jigsaw factory in Downham Road, Hackney in London. My guests were asked to come in costumes they had designed and created themselves, each was to be judged on poise and personality - like the dogs who appear at Cruft's Dog Show! And I thought I would add an additional category; 'glamour' because the costumes had to be glamorous.

After finding an old half-and-half costume in a junk shop, I decided to act as both Host and Hostess, dressed in half male and half female attire. My good friends David Hockney and Robert Medley were the judges. Another friend, Jack Hazan, filmed the party and used a sequence as the party scene in his film about David Hockney, A Bigger Splash.

One of the guests, Fran Fullenweider, fell through the catwalk of orange boxes!

The winner was Patrick Steed as Miss Yorkshire, who shared with Garbo the desire, after a short but successful career, to seek obscurity.

In July of '72, I met my partner Michael Davis.Who I am still with!!!"

Andrew Logan, speaking about the first Alternative Miss World contest, which is 40 years old this year.





Brian Eno, Tim Curry, Zandra Rhodes, David Bowie, Molly Parkin, Duggie Fields, Richard O'Brien, Leigh Bowery, Derek Jarman, Julian Clary, David Hockney, Ruby Wax, Divine, Princess Julia, Grayson Perry, Johnny Woo, Steven Jones, Nick Rhodes... Participants, fans or supporters, all!

Rumours abound that there may well be some kind of "Alternative Olympics" event to mark the occasion but, as ever, these are unconfirmed...






The British Guide to Showing Off - a film documentary that charts the history of the Alternative Miss World contest.

Andrew Logan's Alternative Miss World website

Read my previous blog tribute to Mr Logan over at Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle