The Union Jack has expressed many things in its time
Scotland, England, Ireland, colonisation...lots of red countries on the world map in the 50's & 60's...
and now, it appears as if it might be ripping itself apart!
The Union Jack has experienced this "ripped apart" effect before...in the PUNK era!.
Punk,what's punk?
- loud, fast-moving and aggressive form of rock music (1970s)
- an inexperienced young person "you were a nobody, a punk kid starting out"
- worthless person (general term of abuse) ...Dirty Harry style! (It should have a comma and a question mark shouldn't it?)
Punk fashion in the UK began with Vivienne Westwood (who actually started off in the teaching profession) and Malcolm McLaren, at 430 Kings Road.
McLaren put together the band he called The Sex Pistols, and both he and Viv decked them out in the required garb. The rest is history! 'Seditionairies' boutique came after 'SEX', but Jordan remained. An amazing young woman!
Punk clothing was often torn on purpose, included BDSM fashion, ripped fishnet stockings and safety pins. Tartan was also a popular fabric of choice in the punk garb. Many female punks rebelled against the stereotypical image of the female, by combining clothes that were delicate or pretty, with clothes that were considered masculine e.g. ballet tutus combined with chunky boots.
Many of these factors can be seen in a number of Comme des Garcons collections.
Rei Kawakubo's comment regard Punk
Many of these factors can be seen in a number of Comme des Garcons collections.
Rei Kawakubo's comment regard Punk
Malcolm McLaren said he remembered Rei Kawakubo and Yohi Yamamoto as a "petite, stylish couple of excellent customers", who turned up at his 'Sex' shop in the 70s. Decades later VW told RK that she considered her a "punk at heart".
Johnny Rotten in his holey jersey and CDG's Lace Sweater from the early 80s
Johnny Rotten in the Punk mohair sweater and a Junya Watanabe CDG mohair sweater from his A/W 2006 RTW collection.
Another fab image involving JW's collection
And here's a cool image of VW, designer and creator of Punk Fashion
See similarities?
Extremely long sleeves and union jack trousers.
Here's the cool Vogue image of one of the JW designs, it has a very Post-Punk aspect to it.
Good quality tartan fabric featured in the bondage garments VW and MMcL created. Tartan appealed to VW's sense of "patriotism, traditionalism and abiding respect for quality ." (Jane Mulvagh)
Rei Kawakubo also appreciates tartan. It has appeared in lots of her collections.
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| CDG A/W 2003 |
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CDG S/S 2006 |
Rei Kawakubo played with that concept in the presentation of her S/S 2005 collection. Tough Biker type jackets with saddle stitched seams worn with delicate tutu type skirts
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| CDG S/S 2005 |
Ripped stockings, very punk, worn with masculine style boots.
And in A/W CDG 2014 RK presented printed ripped stockings with her 'Monster' collection.
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| CDG A/W 2014 |
Johnny Rotten set the scene with the safety pins
Rei Kawakubo has always loved safety pin fastenings
I also love safety pin fastenings.
And this is Jun Takahashi's take with safety pins. He is not part of Comme des Garcons but he is a close ally. This take has a very strong fetishistic element, which was there at the beginning with Malcolm and Vivienne's Punk fashion.
The above red skirt with the buckle straps, ala a kilt, is from the CDG S/S 2015 'Red Raw' (my words) collection. It inspired me to make a skirt out of some fab vinyl I found at my local fabric store, but...
it didn't work. The cut I worked with didn't create the required shape...
'cos the fabric didn't have the appropriate stiff property and I didn't use support of any sort .
It needed help..and on my way to work one morning, waiting for the red light to change to green, I thought, hey, cut it up into that red top with the holes (from the same collection)..and call it my own swiss cheese top!
So, I unpicked, re-cut it and created a kinda "punky", yet still connected with the "Red Raw" collection, top with holes! Much better.
This is another garment from that "Red Raw" collection,
it reminds me of M.McL. & V.W.'s Bondage Suit
The Union Jack has been an inspiration for lots of designers
And Viv W. has often returned to it as a design feature in her later collections
Another person who has "done cool" with the Union Jack and inspired Punk, is John Galliano.
If you would like to have a go at making your own John Galliano Union Jack corset jacket, try this one from his A/W 2001/02 Pirates collection
It is available as one of ShowStudio's free download patterns.
it reminds me of M.McL. & V.W.'s Bondage Suit
Here is the wonderful Jordan wearing that Bondage Suit. I think Viv might be in a tartan one.
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| Another Bondage Punk garment in the lovely tartan |
What about the Union Jack thing that went down with the Punks? "God save the Queen"
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Paul Cook
Vivienne Westwood, typically Punk T-shirt
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Rei Kawakubo got into the Union Jack in her S/S 2006
It is available as one of ShowStudio's free download patterns.
Go to this website for the info to download the pattern and also read the wee essay about John Galliano. It explains it all a bit more.
I've done my own thing which was influenced by the Union Jack (my heritage, particularly the blue shirt)
Some of it works, and some of it, not quite, but there you are, that's having fun with creativity.
And that aspect of growing up with lots of red countries on the world map in the 50's and 60's...
here's my take of that map, skirt style!
A couple of years ago an interesting exhibition covering the influence of Punk on contemporary fashion was organised by Andrew Boulton.
This is a really good link which will take you through the exhibition with Andrew Boulton explaining all about it. It is really interesting. The next best thing to being there.
One of my Yr. 12 students, Ophelia, entered the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand/Tony Catford Shakespeare Costume Design Competition. She chose to design a costume for Cleopatra with Punk influences.
And it was so exciting, because the above right design was chosen for the final judging in Wellington. A student from the Toi Whakaari:New Zealand Drama School costume course made up the costume and it gained 2nd place. The costume has gone to be displayed in The Globe in London. Such a buzz for Ophelia!
In Rei Kawakubo's latest collection, A/W 2016, she said she was "imagining punks in the 18th century, which was a time of so many revolutions." Sarah Mower saw that connection in the "un-missable presence in powder-pink patent and vinyl", like McLaren and Westwood's Kings Road SEX shopfront.
I am interested to see some of the more wearable clothes that CDG will put out in connection with this collection. Plus, where will she go to from here with her future collections?
So, where do Punks go when the revolution is over?
Love this image, do you think they were there in the day?
For some who really were, check this website, and right at the end is the astounding Jordan. She has a very strong sense of what she is about.
Well, think that's it for Punk. It's a great word, expresses a lot, and to actually see Dirty Harry express his statement concerning Punk click on this site!
SLTSLTBsigning off
Funny people are all up stuff we actually grew up with
ReplyDeleteOh you actually don't look like a noob
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