Punk Fashion

Part 1: Setting the Scene

Seventies London was engaging in what became known as “the punk scene.” While the underlying sentiment was genuine, clever stylists such as Malcolm McClaren & Vivienne Westwood created a community in their punk themed shop, “Sex”, located at 430 King’s Road. Sales assistants included Christie Hyde & the Sex Pistols’ frontman, Sid Vicious. Tees such as the”Cambridge Rapist Tee”, sold like hot cakes to wildly different economic classes, from disenfranchised youth to Chelsea Girl socialites. Sid Vicious sensed an opportunity & left London to made his way to the USA. Once there, he made punk history with his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen in downtown Manhattan.

Part 2; Cartier- the clash de cartier- an ode to late seventies NYC. punk rock scene AND punks Sid & Nancy, 1978–9 take Manhattan

The Sex Pistols’ bassist, Sid Vicious & girlfriend Nancy Spungen, were drawn to downtown Manhattan’s punk scene & moved to room 100 of the legendary Chelsea Hotel in 1978. Their love story ended in horror, w/ Sid allegedly murdering Nancy while on heroin. A few months later; he died of an overdose. Watch “Sid & Nancy”, to learn more about the NYC punk fashion & music scene. It stars Gary Oldham as Sid Vicious & Chloe Webb as Nancy Spungen. Courtney Love, an authentic punk, played “Gretchen”, a small part, but she would have been very believable in the part of Nancy Spungen.

Over 40 years after Sid’s death, fine jeweler Cartier brings back a whiff of the Seventies NYC punk scene w/ the Clash de Cartier Collection. Clash pieces are spiky like the jewelry Nancy wore, but unlike hers, they are flexible & made of pink gold. They add edge to even the sugariest of outfits as seen on Lucy Boynton at the Clash de Cartier launch party.Clash pieces are available at www.cartier.com.

A big thank you to gal pal, @barbaramastoddi , punk historian for her information & insights.