Since The Fool (they take their name from the joker in tarot cards) arrived in Britain from Holland, they have found that the way they dress, paint, and the way they think have become an influential part of the pop scene. The four who are ‘The Fool’ live and work together behind a pretty midnight-blue door decorated with six-pointed yellow stars in Montagu Square.
Simon Posthuma, at 28, is the eldest: tall, Van Dyck featured, with long, black, curling cavalier hair. He is painter and mentor to the group. Marijke Koger, 23, with long blond hair, was a commercial artist in Amsterdam and she now designs posters and clothes along with Josie Leeger, 24, who formerly marketed her own fashions in Holland. The only British member, Barry Finch, 24, met the others when he was working in publicity for the Saville Theatre and got them to do a poster for a pop concert. Impressed with their exotic talents, he found it easy to settle down as their full-time organizer, promoting their ideas of hippy ‘love’ along with them.
Marijke Koger started her first boutique, The Trend, in Amsterdam at the age of 18 with her friend from school, Yosha Leeger. Around that time, she met Simon Posthuma. Soon after, the three moved to the Spanish island of Ibiza.
Once in Ibiza they were discovered by photographer Karl Ferris among the island’s hippie community. He took photographs of clothes designed by them, and sent them to London where they were published in The Times and immediately caused a sensation. Ferris took The Fool back to London, and together they opened a studio, with the Dutch artists producing clothes and art, and Ferris pursuing photography.
Then everything followed. George Harrison’s place in Surrey and the eye drawn to his fireplace, opulently decorated all over with highly-colored painted scenes of lush reclining figures and drooping vegetation. The same fauna and flora bustle over John Lennon’s piano and Roll Royce. The guitars and drums of The Cream. The dream-like covers of the new LPs of The Hollies and The Incredible String Band. The Beatles new clothing store facade, interior decor and most of the costumes sold there. The Procul Harum scarlet performing clothes and the list goes on.
The illustrations The Fool did for Saville Theatre, which belonged to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, brought them to the attention of The Beatles themselves. John Lennon and Paul McCartney came round one evening to Marijke and Simon’s place, and were absolutely mesmerized by the psychedelic paintings on their armoire.
One of the first projects the Beatles undertook after forming their Apple Corps company was the Apple boutique, opened on Dec. 7, 1967 at 94 Baker Street in London.
The Beatles were such fans of The Fool work, that they commissioned them the new Apple Boutique. The Fool were supposed to design everything; clothes, interior of the shop as well as the exterior. The “Fool” engaged several dozen art students to paint a huge psychedelic mural across the entire front and side of the store. But instant complaints from local merchants soon had them erasing the mural. Paul McCartney initially described the shop as “a beautiful place where beautiful people can buy beautiful things.”
Pete Shotton managed the store with Pattie Harrison’s sister Jennie. Invitations to the grand opening, on December 5, 1967, read ‘Come at 7.46. Fashion Show at 8.16.’ John and George were the only Beatles that attended. The only drink available that night was apple juice.
Apple Boutique eventually closed down in July 1968 – after merely seven months, during which it had lost nearly £100.000. To maintain the spirit of the store, The Beatles decided to give away all the remaining stock on the last day. As Ringo remembered: “We went in the night before and took everything we wanted. We had loads of shirts and jackets – we cleaned a lot of stuff out. It wasn’t a sale, we just gave it all away and that was the best idea. Paul adds: The nice thing was that we weren’t too fussed when it didn’t work out (…) It was great: giving the clothes to people who showed up on the day.”
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