New Romanticism (also called Blitz Kids and a variety of other names) was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began as a nightclub scene around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London and Birmingham, at nightclubs such as Billy’s and the Blitz, and fashion boutiques such as PX in London and Kahn and Bell in Birmingham, it spread to other major cities in the UK and was characterised by flamboyant, eccentric fashion.
Several music acts at the start of the 1980s adopted the style of the movement and became known to epitomise it within the music and mainstream press, including Visage, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls and Boy George (of Culture Club). Ultravox were also often identified as New Romantics by the press although they did not exhibit the same visual styles of the movement, despite their link to the band Visage. Japan and Adam and the Ants were also labeled as New Romantic artists by the press, although both repudiated this and neither had any direct connection to the original scene. A number of these bands adopted synthesizers and helped to develop synth-pop in the early 1980s, which, combined with the distinctive New Romantic visuals, helped them first to national success in the UK, and then, with help of MTV, to play a major part in the Second British Invasion of the U.S. charts.
By the end of 1981, the original movement had largely dissipated and, although some of the artists associated with the scene continued their careers, they had largely abandoned the aesthetics of the movement. There were attempts to revive the movement from the 1990s, including the short-lived romo movement.
