Eye Contact

TABOO CLUB - LONDON
1985 – 1987

Taboo Club only lasted two years, but its impact on London nightlife was immediate and lasting. Founded by Leigh Bowery, it rejected traditional dress codes in favor of radical self-expression, where turning up “normal” simply wasn’t the point. Clubgoers became the spectacle, pushing costume, makeup, and identity to extremes. The music mixed disco, house, new wave, and early electronic sounds, helping establish the idea that nightlife could be a space for experimentation, not just escape.

THE BOX - LONDON
2011 – Present

The Box opened at a time when London nightlife was becoming increasingly polished and predictable, and deliberately did the opposite. Intimate and provocative, it blurred the line between nightclub, cabaret, and live performance. Founded by Simon Hammerstein, it quickly drew musicians, artists, designers, and fashion insiders. The music leaned toward hip-hop, disco, and underground edits rather than chart-led sets, while the performances, often explicit and confrontational, were central to the experience. From pop stars to people off the street, all drawn by the sense that the night could go anywhere.