Punk: Chaos to Couture

The provocative punk aesthetic and its incendiary influence on high fashion 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 punks aesthetic of brutality on high fashion focusing on its do-it-yourself rip-it-to-shreds ethos the antithesis of coutures made-to-measure exactitude. Indeed punks democracy stands in opposition to fashions 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 styles rebellious energy. Focusing on high fashions embrace of punks aesthetic vocabulary this book reveals how designers have looked to the quintessential anti-establishment style to originate new ideals of beauty and fashionability. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (05/09/1308/14/13)