Sex Pistols fashion shoot. Photo from MarieClaire.
Throughout the seventies there were many memorable styles and subcultures but nothing quite rocked the scene like the punk era. Punk became such a prevalent style among the underground scene that helped capture the thoughts and ideas of the more rebellious youth which started to emerge at the turn of the decade. This, in turn, helped to shape fashion in such a unique way allowing for multiple clothes and accessories which would have previously been deemed inappropriate or too ‘different’. At the forefront of this revolution was Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren influencing the youth with their nihilistic ideas and initially bridging the gap between clothing and music through groups like the Sex Pistols.
Undercover SS19 Menswear. Photo from FashionBeans.
Raf Simons SS20 Collection. Photo from HighSnobiety.
Although the music itself has steadily declined in popularity in recent years, the fashion and style still have a major impact on the clothes we wear today. The excessive use of chains around the belt and even around the neck, in particular those designed by Vivienne Westwood, have become a staple in plenty of teens wardrobes; furthermore the jagged cuts into the fabrics and deconstruction of workwear pieces to create a rougher, rebellious look have become increasingly popular. This can be seen in the recent collections from Raf Simons, Vetements and Undercover.
Lil Peep Performance. Photo from NME.
Playboi Carti Self Titled Album Cover.
As well as this, punks’ influence has even affected the current hip-hop scene which currently dominates the global market for the youth. This is clearly captured by the emergence of rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Peep and Juice Wrld whose inspirations range from Black Flag to the Misfits. This is both quite evident in their music but also when it comes to the image they create for themselves using style audacity – especially Peep who was pictured several times wearing Tribute Tees to these bands as well as rocking a punk style haircut and lots of rough leather chained clothing.With these modern day icons wearing punk fashion to create their image its popularity within the new generation has started to increase although the faces associated with this particular style have started to change begging the question, will the real “punk” be forgotten?
–Harry Mitchell // @margiela.mitchell
