Fashion Moment - 'SEX'

'Fashion was much more important than music. Punk was the sound of our fashion.’ - Malcolm Mclaren.

Sex sells. And the best example of this is the infamous shop, ‘SEX’, owned by then couple, Malcolm Mclaren and fashion royalty Vivienne Westwood.

430, Kings Road, London, was the home to the shop that single handedly defined the short lived, but forever influencing movement that was, Punk. Previously known as ‘Lets Rock’ (1971), catering for Teddy Boys, and ‘Too fast to live, too young to die’ (1973), which offered rocker gear and zoot suits, It was in 1974 the shop got converted into SEX.

The shop itself was painted black with barred windows and said SEX in four foot high foam rubber letters, its controversial exterior mirrored its interior. With black rubber curtains, graffiti walls and red carpets, this temple of British iconoclasm centred in fetishistic accessories and ranges of clothing in which studs and leather took over. There was an air of rebelliousness about the shop, the couple wanted to create anti-fashion, they took the rule book, turned it on its head and then tore it up. They wanted to create a new world through fashion. The essence of the Punk movement was a direct reaction of economic situation during the economic depression. Punk was creation through disorder.

Disorder came in the shape of specialist bondage trousers, fetish gear and t-shirts with philosophical slogans and aggressive controversial images, which caused a stir among many. Mclaren and Westwood were taken to court various times.

Mclaren had the genius idea of mobilising the punk ethic through music and so he got behind the Sex Pistols as dark, fashion terrorists which would be his cultural ambassadors and infiltrate punk to the mainstream. This was about the time SEX got revamped and was renamed Seditionaries, keeping much of the same stock, but focusing much more on punk fashion; Anarchy shirts, bondage suits, parachute tops and tartan blazers.

Closing down in 1979, the shops spirit is still alive today, controversy still caused with fake Seditionaries clothing being sold to individuals wanting to relive the carnage.

Because of Punk, London has retained its influence over fashion. The vision of Mclaren and Westwood was truly genius and SEX’s influence still reigns today.