Photos: Rebel Yell: Punk Fashion
Photographed by Steven Meisel1/8NEVER MIND THE BONDAGE
With its straps and a zippered seam, the 1976 bondage suit that Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren designed with Vivienne Westwood—see the Met’s “Clothes for Heroes” gallery for more—helped kick off a movement. On model Edie Campbell: Vivienne Westwood Punk Hell muslin top (from Resurrection Vintage), bondage jacket, and pants.
Fashion Editor: Grace Coddington
Photographed by Steven Meisel2/8COUNTER-COUTURE
Designers such as John Galliano have mined both the DIY aspects of punk and the craft of haute couture in the ateliers of storied houses like Dior by replacing safety pins and studs with intricate beadwork. Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano fall 2006 embroidered jacket, tulle skirt, gloves, and boots, as seen in the Met’s entrance gallery. Stephen Jones for Dior headpiece.
Photographed by Steven Meisel3/8BLACK FLAG
Punk’s appetite for nihilism is reflected in the nonconformist brilliance of Japanese designers like Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, whose deconstructed looks upend traditional notions of womenswear. Comme des Garçons fall 2004 jacket and skirt with asymmetrical ruffles, underpinning shorts, and shoes—part of the show’s “DIY Destroy” gallery.
Photographed by Steven Meisel4/8ANARCHY RULES
Tartan, long associated with the military and other institutions of authority, was reappropriated by British punks and has since informed the work of a host of designers. Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons fall 2006 wool asymmetrical sweater, plaid paneled pants, and ankle boots, from the Met’s “Clothes for Heroes” gallery.
BEAUTY NOTE
Defy authority—and gravity. Redken’s Rough Paste 12 creates edgy, sculptural looks that last.
Photographed by Steven Meisel5/8HEADLINE NEWS
The public outrage purposefully stoked by the punks created a tabloid feeding frenzy in the U.K.—which quite literally became fodder for fashion. John Galliano spring 2001 newsprint sleeveless jacket and skirt, and Stephen Jones for John Galliano hat, from the Met’s “DIY Bricolage” gallery.
