Dorset author Lorraine Gibson takes a Memphis journey as she explores Elvis Presley’s life through his iconic – and shocking – fashion
Steve Gibson
A really comprehensive delve into the sartorial life of The King has taken Dorset writer Lorraine Gibson almost 4,300 miles (as flown by the crow) from home to Memphis, Tennessee, so she could walk in his famed Blue Suede Shoes.
Lorraine’s first book, Baden Powell: A Biography, was published in 2022, by which time she had already started on writing Elvis: The King of Fashion, a view of the life of the great rock’n’roller seen through the lens of fashion. And it wasn’t long before she decided she had to go to Memphis, Tennessee, where Elvis lived from the age of 13, and where clothier Bernard Lansky had been selling clothes since 1946. Now based in the historic Peabody Hotel, Lansky Bros has trademarked itself as Clothier to the King.
‘I grew up with Elvis,’ says Lorraine. ‘My parents played his records, I watched his films during school holidays, and his colourful outfits grabbed my attention – who needed Barbie when you had Elvis? I’ve been fascinated by his style ever since.’
Lorraine already had the framework for the book in mind when spoke to Bernard Lansky’s son Hal on the phone. Bernard had dressed Elvis for more than 30 years, and Hal’s information convinced her she would need to visit Memphis to immerse herself in the world of Elvis.
‘I travelled to the Peabody Hotel, where Elvis attended his prom night, and later signed his life-changing RCE contract.
‘Hal, who advised on actor Austin Butler’s wardrobe for the 2022 movie Elvis, and has written the book’s foreword, answered some important questions.
‘I knew what Elvis wore, but I wanted the colours, details, fabrics. He really did wear pink and black outfits – shocking in conservative 1950s America. Ditto lace and satin blouses, and those blue suede shoes. I even discovered why he wore his belt buckle to the side.
‘At Graceland, the displays were inspiring and moving, especially the dance-worn white shoes and the exquisite beadwork on the Mexican Sundial jumpsuit that Elvis wore for his final concert before he died.
‘At Sun Studio, I held the original recording mic and stood where Elvis did when he cut That’s All Right (mama).’
The welfare-funded flat where he lived as a teenager, the Arcade Restaurant where he had his own booth and the Overton Park Shell, where he played his first live professional gig, were just some of the places Lorraine went.
‘As a child, I never dreamed that the American boy in the cheesy films would inspire such an adventure. I came back to Dorset understanding Elvis even better. Back in the UK, at an exhibition at Arches London Bridge I held some of the Elvis items I’d been writing about, including his famous gold belt. That really did leave me all shook up!’
- Elvis: The King of Fashion
White Owl Books
