Punk: Chaos to Couture

by Andrew Bolton, Richard Hell, John Lydon

Since its origins in the 1970s, punk has had an explosive influence on fashion. With its eclectic mixing of stylistic references, punk effectively introduced the postmodern concept of bricolage to the elevated precincts of haute couture and directional ready-to-wear. As a style, punk is about chaos, anarchy, and rebellion. Drawing on provocative sexual and political imagery, punks made fashion overtly hostile and threatening. This aesthetic of violence – even of cruelty – was intrinsic to the clothes themselves, which were often customized with rips, tears, and slashes, as well as studs, spikes, zippers, D-Rings, safety pins, and razor blades, among other things.

This extraordinary publication examines the impact of punk’s aesthetic of brutality on high fashion, focusing on its do-it-yourself, rip-it-to-shreds ethos, the antithesis of couture’s made-to-measure exactitude. Indeed, punk’s democracy stands in opposition to fashion’s autocracy. Yet, as this book reveals, even haute couture has readily appropriated the visual and symbolic language of punk, replacing beads with studs, paillettes with safety pins, and feathers with razor blades in an attempt to capture the style’s rebellious energy. Focusing on high fashion’s embrace of punk’s aesthetic vocabulary, this book reveals how designers have looked to the quintessential anti-establishment style to originate new ideals of beauty and fashionability.

Genres: Fashion, Music, Art, Nonfiction, Photography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 28, 2013

Reviews

[Frederic · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most disappointing books I've ever seen. Documents the bastardizing and commercial appropriations of punk iconography by some of the very cultural elites the punks were rebelling against. There are some great photos, but the context basically subverts anything good here.

[Andrea Janov · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a beautiful book. Stunning images and presentation. I would have loved to see the exhibit. Yet, I am always torn about punk going into the couture space. No matter how genuine the designer is, it still feels like commodification.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book.

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite a few minor problems, Punk is a gorgeous book. The dissonance between the haute couture philosophy of punk and the conspicuous consumption of the exhibitions catalogued in this book was a bit jarring at times. Still, I feel like I learned a good amount about punk and a little about fashion, so I’ll easily call it a successful and enjoyable reading experience. Also everyone in it is hot. Except Sid Vicious. Fuck Sid Vicious.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book that spends all of the introduction and commentary talking about the commercialization of punk, there was an awful lot of emphasizing that commercialism in the photograph selection. Just seemed weird that they made several claims that “it’s no longer punk”, then proceeded to include it in the book under that label.
A nice coffee table book with some neat history on punk anyways. Just conflicting ideas expressed.

[Elspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting how punk "designs" from the late 70s have continually been coopted by high fashion. This book of photos illustrates the dichotomy of having expensive designer clothing made from or like the clothing that punks used either to make a statement or because it was cheap and readily available.

[barbieturici · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is crazy good.
You find my video review here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cxcfd9...

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’ll ever get over not being able to buy an exhibition book of the British Library’s Punk 1976-78 exhibition, but at least I can assuage my woes with exhibition books like this one. Not only does it give a wonderful representation of the couture clothing displayed in this exhibit, but it paired the new couture with images of the 1970s punk original inspirations. It may be an extremely simple presentation (and not really based on the exhibition space at all), but the simplicity really works in this case to make an easy to explore collection.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well assembled book, with some really intriguing designs. The essays are interesting, but the images from the history of punk and the fashion shows inspired by punk are good references. Obviously there's this albatross of political meaning and how supposedly haute couture has obscured those signifiers but somehow side by side they level out in a way.

[Leonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read much in this well-designed large format photo book, but I did look at the pictures. It's s different world from what I live in, and sometimes it's good to peak into other worlds, just to know that they exist, if for no other reason.

[Twyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

a bunch of good pictures that I haven't seen before, but kind of infuriating to see all the style ripped off for something so...I dunno. you know?!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for both the fashion and the photo history of the early U.K. punk scene.