Rock Punk Couture

Very well produced piece. Check out this pod: http://current.com/items/90942192_through-stills-of-life-the-annenberg-space-for...

Cool clothes and a great look into the backstage fashion rock world. Nice job!
J

WHY PUNK ROCK HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH FASHION

The New York Effect
In the early 1970s, the socioeconomics of New York City were no better than London's. Local rock groups were reinventing music and style in protest against what had become perceived as the star-centered, showy, and elitist mentality of '60s super-groups such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. These local bands, such as the New York Dolls and performer Richard Hell, were breaking down barriers at the infamous proto-punk club, Max's. Hell was well known for his nihilistic lyrics and wearing of self-styled ripped T-shirts bearing slogans like "Please Kill Me." The original fanzine of the era, PUNK, was published in New York City and is credited with the first use of the term. Malcolm McLaren, Westwood's boyfriend and "partner in crime," was living in New York during this time and briefly managed the New York Dolls. According to punk lore, McLaren took this radical New York aesthetic back to London, where he opened the SEX clothing shop with Westwood and managed the Sex Pistols, creating a media frenzy and a prosperous symbiotic relationship between music and fashion that effectively set the tone of popular culture for decades to come.

Anarchy in the U.K.
Westwood, a former schoolteacher, was the seamstress in the SEX shop partnership with McLaren and made manifest their combined punk vision through her creations. Westwood designed both her and McLaren's clothing before they opened their first store, Let It Rock, in 1971. Let It Rock catered to the "Teddy Boy" subculture, which was a 1950s revival look. In 1972, they renamed the store Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die, and changed the focus to emphasize the emergence of the Marlon Brando-influenced rocker/biker style that was popular at the time. In 1974, they again changed the name of the shop to reflect McLaren's new shock tactics, this time to SEX, where they sold S&M (sado-masochistic) inspired clothing, met the Sex Pistols, and added their punk line, Seditionaries,4 in 1976.5 SEX was the center of the punk fashion scene and many young punks hung out, worked, or bought clothes there when they could afford them. Shrewd entrepreneurs, Westwood and McLaren were instrumental in defining and marketing the punk look at the precise moment that it was taking the streets of London by storm.

-Shannon Bell-Price
The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

punk rock is nothing to do with fashion, its to do with the music this ticks me off!

Well I love it.

nothing says i'm cool like punk couture...nice work ;)

nice pod. i like the sunglasses. you are genius.

Nothing says rockstar like crotch shots. Nice piece.

This guy makes rock stars look like rock stars, and does it well.

Interesting character and very well produced piece.

Nice work.

I would think that punk rock culture is ALL couture. Individuality and expressing yourself is its basic premise, ya?

The piece was awesome! Great job!

if i see you in a $2,000 pre-distressed leather jacket at a show , i'm going to kick your face in and grind your head under my boot heel . ( to all the "posers" )

I LOVE THE LOOK IT' JUST TOO WICKED,I WANT TO WORK FOR THEM!!!!

i like how he said " you don't wanna be a poser" ironic...
in my opinion, if you pick out your clothes because it'll "make you look punk " you are posing.
the pod is well done, but the content is dumb

such is the way of things - curse it nevertheless.

I think "punk rock fashion" is an oxymoron-- nice pod though.

Couture is not very punk rock.

Sounds like hot topic meets Hilfiger. I'll pass, nice pod though.

that was a great little insight into his world and wardrobe!
really nicely put together too.
cool :-)