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There’s nothing on Earth cooler than a skater boy. At least, that’s what my 13-year-old self would soon tell you. Teenage angst, the threat of danger — well, a few scraped knees at least — and sound advice from Avril Lavigne saw to that. While a decade later I may have moved on from after-school sessions at the skate park, the waxy scrape of maplewood on half-pipe still stirs in me a frisson of excitement about my first flirt with pubescent rebellion. But this isn’t about my hazy, pre-driving licence memories of testosterone on four wheels; it’s about London’s continued love affair with the skateboard.

Take the South Bank, for example. Back in the Seventies, when Britons first strapped on their skating sea-legs, the disused undercroft was transformed into what is now widely regarded as one of the best unplanned skate parks in Europe. But this claim to fame hasn’t stopped the Southbank Centre from announcing plans to tear it down and relocate the capital’s most popular skating Mecca in favour of commercial space to fund a refurbishment of the centre’s Festival Wing. This news, of course, didn’t go down too well with the locals and an online petition has since collected more than 40,000 signatures from skaters and non-skaters alike who wish to see the concrete playground kept intact. A drop in the ocean, perhaps, when it comes to anti-Establishment versus The Man, but the contentious issue has nonetheless served to bolster London’s community spirit — no mean feat at the best of times.

But while it may have taken a bit of demolition for many to sit up and take notice, the fashion pack is one group that needs much less convincing. We are, basically, obsessed. Why? Because if there’s one thing designers love most it’s a subculture. In a word, skating’s always cool. And fashion wants in. So consequently, we find ourselves continually borrowing from its world — see hoodies, low-slung cargo pants and beanie hats for reference.

This season, the influence is more apparent than ever. At Topman Design’s last spring catwalk show, scruffy-haired boys wore Nineties printed shirts and long city shorts with skateboard-clad backpacks, while sportswear brands Le Coq Sportif and preppy California label UCLA are also on board (geddit?).

But it’s not just the usual streetwear suspects getting in on the act. The latest lookbook for the collaboration between Parisian contemporaries Comptoir des Cotonniers and CALLA features skater girls with penny boards donning pretty hydrangea-print jeans, tees and shirt dresses, while at the higher end of the spectrum Madeleine Thompson focused her cashmere label’s entire summer campaign around skating.

“I thought it would be a good juxtaposition to have luxurious and high-quality cashmere shot with the edgier look of the LA skater scene,” explains Thompson, whose label is stocked at Net-A-Porter and Liberty. “I’ve always loved the whole vibe and attitude of skaters since the Nineties when I was growing up and there’s still such a scene now. Life has become too hi-tech and complicated, but skaters still rule!”

French label Sandro is another that counts the skate scene as a recent source of inspiration. Joining forces with renowned photographer Hugh Holland, who is known for capturing LA’s skate scene throughout the Seventies, the brand encapsulated some of his most iconic prints on limited edition

T-shirts and even launched its first cruiser skateboard, decked out in Seventies shades, in homage.

“From the minute my pictures first came out, the people who have been the most interested in them are fashion people,” says Holland, who recently also appeared at the brand’s flagship to sign copies of his new book, Locals Only. “I think it’s because what goes around comes around. The Seventies were a time of liberation and freedom and it’s that street culture that’s exciting. It’s a period of time in Southern California that everyone wants to emulate.”

Then again, it’s not just the boards themselves making an appearance in this season’s campaigns. Phoebe Philo quickly decreed that skate shoes were this season’s Nike Air Max after she produced python and pony skin versions for Céline — a move that was immediately followed by printed offerings from Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo and Kenzo for Vans.

Aertex fabrics, board shorts, heavy sweatshirts and sporty layering are all also key aspects in dressing for this season — in fact, there’s a line of thought that suggests this summer’s boyish slouch aesthetic wouldn’t have been possible had skating culture not provided the inspiration.

At least we don’t need to worry about accessories: all you need is a skateboard. Natch.