Manchester's National Football Museum is playing host to a new free exhibition celebrating 50 years of football and fashion. 'Strike a Pose' opens on the 1st of February, and is inspired by the book The Fashion of Football, From Best to Beckham, From Mod to Label Slave by Fred Perry friends Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter.

From the flamboyant fashions worn by players ever since the wage cap was lifted in 1961, to the clothing adopted by the likes of mods, skinheads and casuals on the terraces; football has always had an intriguing influence on both spectator and sportsman. The coloured tipping applied to the iconic Fred Perry shirt was first initiated by West Ham fans who were keen to sport their club's colours, taking what was traditionally a tennis shirt and adopting it as their own. The National Football Museum has a selection of original 1960s Fred Perry shirts on display.

'Strike a Pose' explores a wide range of football influenced trends; the good, the bad and the Beckham sarong. George Best - who many consider to be the godfather of football and fashion - is remembered with a dedicated section showcasing a selection of 60s clothing sold at his Manchester shops. The museum will also be holding a series of related events alongside the exhibition, kicking off with a conversation with Baxter and Hewitt this afternoon.

'Strike a Pose: 50 Years of Football and Fashion' runs from the 1st of February to 27th August 2013. The Fashion of Football, From Best to Beckham, From Mod to Label Slave by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter is available now. You can see both authors' customised shirts, created as part of our 60 Year Anniversary gallery, HERE.

www.nationalfootballmuseum.com

Throughout the sixty years of the brand, the Fred Perry shirt has always been the iconic piece; the standard bearer for our Laurel Wreath emblem. Over six remarkable decades some of the most influential figures in fashion, music and sport have worn the shirt, and many have become de facto ambassadors for the brand. As part of our 60 Year anniversary celebrations, we've compiled a list of our 60 most loyal and distinguished fans and requested their participation in a charity fund raising exercise. Designers, musicians, artists and sports people were sent a reproduction of the original 1952 Fred Perry shirt and asked to personalise the shirt with a birthday message or full-blown customisation.

By Horace Panter, artist and bassist with The Specials

By Raf Simons, designer and Fred Perry collaborator

By Christopher Raeburn, designer

By Bradley Wiggins, British cycling champion

All shirts will be displayed online in the 60 Year microsite at fredperry.com, in-store and at anniversary events before being auctioned for charity later in the year, with all proceeds going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. In collaboration with Dover Street Market and designed by renowned set designer Andy Hillman; Fred Perry will present the first 20 customisations exclusively at Dover Street Market in London on January 26th. The installation will travel to DSM Ginza and I.T. Beijing Market after the London presentation.

You can see the full collection of customised Fred Perry shirts by clicking HERE

You may remember from our earlier chat with Gran Sport Scooters, that the team are currently working on a very special restoration project. After sourcing an SX200 Lambretta, we asked Fred Perry collaborator Bradley Wiggins to choose his own spec for the scooter to be refurbished to.

The scooter has had its original paintwork completely stripped, followed by soft blasting of the metal to create a smooth surface. Each part has then been carefully repainted, before the scooter is finished with specially designed decal stickers. Stay tuned to see the finished scooter, coming soon.

Click HERE to read our chat with Gran Sports team member and mechanic Danny Turner.

gransportscooters.com