Joe Stone

In the internet age, the word ‘iconic’ risks being rendered meaningless through overuse. On Twitter it is used to describe everything from Carly Rae Jepsen leaning on a fence to Kim Woodburn bollocking Phillip Schofield on ‘This Morning’. By this measure, Geri Halliwell’s career boasts no shortage of iconic moments. Highlights include releasing a B-side testifying to the joys of G-A-Y Late and performing ‘Wannabe’ at her own wedding. But it is her appearance at the 1997 Brit Awards that feels most deserving of the description. Ginger Spice marched down the runway in a Union Jack dress so short that her outfit was 20 percent knicker. It ended up being one of the most enduring images of a whole decade. Arriving a month ahead of Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit’s appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair beneath a Union Jack bedspread, Geri’s dress signalled the moment that Cool Britannia reached critical mass. It perfectly captured the zeitgeist, when London was the most exciting city on the planet, New Labour meant optimism was in the air, and the word ‘Brexit’ was a mere glint in Nigel Farage’s eye. Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock As well as being a perfect emblem of the era, the dress was also quintessentially Halliwell: bold, brash and scene-stealing. Crucially, it meant that Geri, not the Spice Girls, owned the next day’s front pages, with Mel B recalling, ‘That was the first time I realised how brilliant Geri was. She had a real sense of what would catch on in the press... bu

  To celebrate the launch of a Spice Girls exhibition in Islington, superfan Joe Stone picks his favourite spice experiences in the city.  They’re the girl band that ruled Cool Britannia in the late ’90s then became the most tweeted-about moment of the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony. So where better to ‘Spice Up Your Life’ than in the capital? If the five words that best describe your interests are Scary, Baby, Ginger, Posh and Sporty, this guide is for you.  Revisit the outfits you wore in 1997   The biggest exhibition of Spice Girls memorabilia ever, ‘Spice Up London’ includes hundreds of iconic costume pieces as well as heaps of nostalgia-inducing merchandise and the actual Spice Bus from ‘Spice World’ the movie, exhibited for the first time. Say you’ll be there? Business Design Centre. Angel tube. Sat Jul 28-Aug 20. £10. Have a spicy brunch   Hosted by London’s premier Geri Halliwell drag queen impersonator Just May, Spice Up Your Brunch includes live performances of Spice Girls hits and occasional flashes of woollen tits. Oh, and lots of bloody marys, of course. Dalston Superstore. Dalston Kingsland Overground. Next date: Aug 4. Go back to where it all began St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London was the location for the band’s ‘Wannabe’ video, and the spot where they reunited to announce their 2012 musical ‘Viva Forever!’. Head to the hotel’s Hansom Lounge for afternoon tea (served daily 1.30-5pm) and see if you can sneak off for a quick ‘zig-a-zig-ah’ on