Ensemble
Vivienne Westwood · ca. 1977
Punk
Alteration became a means of confrontation in punk dress. Torn cloth, hardware and graphics gained meaning through shops, music scenes and the choices of individual wearers.
Rips and deliberate damageStraps, zips and metal hardwareProvocative graphic statements
About Punk
Punk gave resistance an immediately recognizable appearance. Ripped fabrics, safety pins, bondage straps and confrontational graphics challenged respectable dress and the polished finish associated with luxury. In Britain, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s shops helped shape this language alongside the musicians and young people who wore it. The look also depended on personal alteration and improvised styling. Its influence travelled far beyond its original scene, but later designer references should be distinguished from clothing made within seventies punk culture.
Explore the designers
- Vivienne WestwoodView garment · ca. 1977
History with a rebellious edge