Punk makes a comeback in fashion

05 Oct '13

3 min read

Various clothing styles have always recreated their impression in the fashion world after a leap of over two to three decades, and Punk clothing is the next in line.

Punk originally refers to a rock music genre that was developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Punk bands were recognized by their fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation and above all their edgy and sexy dressing style. Black, grey and other dark colours symbolizing sadness and desperateness are the major colours of punk.

The recreated influence of punk clothing can be seen in the latest collections of several leading designers and labels, as well as in the displays of museums and fashion shows.

Some of the leading designers and labels who have recreated punk influence in their latest creations include globally renowned German designer Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel. The designer’s latest collection of ready-to-wear titled ‘Karl Goes Punk’ features punk-favourite pieces like biker jackets, biker-style pants, coats, dresses and T-shirts made from materials like leather, tartan plaid wool, cashmere and silk.

Next in the row is the famous Spanish apparel brand Mango, which drew inspiration from punk theme for its autumn/winter 2013 collection dominated by black and pastel tones.

Mall-and-web-based specialty retailer Hot Topic along with New York City-based fashion brand TRIPP NYC unveiled a limited-edition punk rock fashion line inspired by the feature film ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’, in June this year. The line has a modern Gothic look, and includes motor jackets and vests, and dresses with Angelic Power accents, as well as leggings and tank tops with sublimation prints of film art.

Bollywood-favourite designer Nikhil Thampi also drew from punk style for his ‘Indian Punk’ collection presented at the Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013 in August this year. Featuring pieces like cholis, boxy lehengas, short sarees and long kurtas for women and palazzo pants, crisp bandh-gala jackets and waistcoats for men, the collection was a huge success at the show.

Well-known Spanish designer Dolores Cortes also chose to go punk for his collection of biknis, trikinis and swimsuits presented at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Swim 2014 held at Miami Beach this year.

Several museums have also started displaying Punk costumes and clothing in their galleries. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York recently hosted an exhibition titled ‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’, illustrating how punk culture has influenced high fashion since inception of the Punk movement in the early 1970s till today. The exhibition drew around 442,350 visitors.

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