The last time I spoke with John Lennon - in 1975, at Cynthia’s house, when he phoned Julian - he told me that he still wore the very first leather cap I ever made for him in 1964 and that it was his all-time favourite hat. I was touched - John was more sentimental than he cared to let on - and I occasionally wondered what kind of condition it was in. It’s only now, thanks to the internet, google and superfans, that I am finally getting to see the evidence!
In the past 12 months, I've discovered from archive images not only that Yoko also wore my cap (I posted that on Instagram on Feb 24) but also that John really was rocking it deep into the 1970s.
My dear friend the super-talented Javier Parisi just sent me this fab photo of John relaxing in Bel Air, where he had rented a house. The snap made me think of John’s “retirement from showbiz” song, released posthumously in 1981.
"I'm just sittin' here watchin' the wheels go round and round; I really love to watch them roll. No longer ridin' on the merry-go-round; I just had to let it go."
I'm also posting below a Henry Grossman image, shot on location during the filming of Help! I'd not seen this one until somebody shared it recently on Instagram. If you’d like to order your own John Lennon cap, created from my original design in the same soft black leather, hit this link to the shop section.
