I think the eighties get a bad rap. We are at the tail end of an eighties revival, (and heading, gasp, into a nineties revival complete with grunge and ditsy prints), and I say to all the twenty somethings out there "you still don't get it".
As someone who came of age in the early eighties, living within a 2 hour drive of New York City with a Mom who encouraged and facilitated all of my crazy ideas, it was an amazing time to be alive.
I know that my experience would have been very different f I had never left the Connecticut town where we lived, if I had instead turned to big hair and acid wash as my uniform and inspiration. But HBO played Kim Wilde and Clash videos in 1981, MTV followed not long after with Adam and the Ants, Visage, Duran Duran, Kate Bush, Ultravox, Bow Wow Wow and all the rest and that sealed it for me. New York City was there, glowing like the Emerald City in the distance, calling me home.....
Fiorucci on 59th Street, The Village, Washington Square Park, St Mark's Place, Unique Boutique, the long lost and lamented Canal Jeans Co. Music everywhere, dancers in the parks, boom boxes playing Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaata. I remember going to the city on a school trip, sitting in the Museum of Modern Art staring at the architectural model of Falling Water for hours, seeing Carmen at Lincoln Center, and walking along sidewalks that glittered in the bright lights of midtown. My mom and I went down to the Metropolitan Museum to see some amazing Costume Institute Exhibits, (before they built a permanent space in the basement), Yves St Laurent, Indian Costume, not to mention the Tiffany Windows in the American Wing. It was a decade of anything goes in fashion. I used to wrap a piece of fabric around me in a tight tube, cinch it off with a combat belt, lace up my boots, requisite gel in the hair and off I went to school. My love of vintage was honed in an era when every thrift shop was bursting with roach killer shoes and vintage 50's dresses, deco cigarette cases and drawers overflowing with gloves and jewelry. I wanted so badly to have pink crazy hair like the girl in the Stand and Deliver video, and paint an apache stripe across my face to conquer the world.
In the middle of all of this add an older brother, amateur DJ and sometime juvenile delinquent, who mixed his love of hip hop culture with my love of the New Romantic. He used to, like all older brothers have done at one stage or another, give me gifts for my birthday, music that he wanted but thought I might like, only to say, days later, "Oh, I know you really didn't like that Malcolm McLaren, Tom Tom Club, etc., record I got you. I'll just take it off your hands and get you something else" So off the record would go to his room, only to find me in his room stealing it back, because I actually did like it/ want it and no way was he going to steal my birthday present! When my brother got his driver's license in 1981, he went off in my mom's little white Subaru and was gone for 3 days. Turns out he just decided to drive it down to the city to have an adventure. It was a crazy time.
SO, ANYWAY.......
The whole reason I am telling you this story is because I found a way in my Textile Influences class to channel my love of 80's music and fashion. A way to show people some of the things that shaped me and why I still believe that it was an era unmatched in color, music and creativity.
I did a huge project on Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood and the influences on the textiles of the World's End Collections that they did together from 1981 - 1983.
I started with Pirates and ended with Witches and I tried to show the amazing mix of culture and music and history and hip hop that influenced their work at that time. This crazy scavenger hunt was a real joy for me to do (but with lots of late nights, which doesn't mix so well with looking after a toddler) and it has fueled a fire that I thought had long been extinguished in my soul. I wish I could share it all with you, but a 65 page power point presentation with video is kind of hard to show in a blog. Instead, here are some images and links to help you along.
It all came from Malcolm's quote "Stealing is glorious occupation, particularly in the art world". And steal they did. As quoted on Vivienne Westwood's site, they were "plundering history and the third world..." Did you know that Malcolm is the one who gave Adam Ant his Apache stripe? It was a wild ride, and if you stop by one day for some tea, I'll be happy to give you the whole song dance, complete with references and footnotes. Until then, enjoy a very small sample of my latest obsession and be inspired by the music and the video. All of the research and correlation of images is mine, it's all documented in case you have any questions and, trust me, it was truly a labour of love......
Talk about finding a Rossetta Stone to help figure out what I'm looking for... above is Mary Read, female pirate. Below is the invite to the Pirate show, red shirt, exposed breast and all.
Bow Wow Wow, C-30, C-60, C-90, Go! Their Pirate collection in action, their Pirate philosophy in musical form....
Apache brothers, World's End styling, Navajo blanket....
This Matisse collage (Femmes et Singes) is not well known, but it can be seen hanging on the wall of Matisse's studio and printed on these two dresses......
Malcolm McLaren, Buffalo Gals
I could watch this a dozen times in a row. I think I have at this point. Love the Rock Steady Crew...
Punkature video from You Tube, (it wouldn't let me link the video directly - this is one of the more obscure clips under Vivienne Westwood on youtube....) The song is Malcolm McLaren's "Soweto"
I love anyone who can mix victorian wallpaper and Blade Runner and get away with it........
Malcolm McLaren, Double Dutch
Watch their feet, and then look at the crazy shoes that Malcolm and Vivienne are wearing in the picture below. They were designed to look like strobe motion, multiple framed feet in motion....
Witches, their final collection together (they could barely stand each other at this point, bricks were thrown through windows, just nasty stuff.....) featured prints done by Keith Haring, based on his subway drawings. It is also based on Vivienne's research into Caribbean voodoo.....
Crazy, but cool. The image on the bottom is a voodoo mud ritual asking for help with money issues.....
Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. But it is wonderful to be inspired again....
These images are used for educational purposes only (and published without permission).
All are documented to the best of my abilities below.
Sorry for the horrid margins and numbering layout. Computers drive me crazy.
In order of viewing:
1) Mary Read, n.d., viewed on 28 February 2012 <http://piratical2.pbworks.com/w/page/17003204/Mary%20%20Read:%20Crossing%20the%20Gender%20Lines%20of%20Piracy>.
2) Beeche, Robyn, Pirate Invite, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
3) Bow Wow Wow c-30, c-60, c-90 Go, video, SGG THIGH, 4 may 2011, viewed on 18 March 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb5Nk0WOF84>.
4) SPC Sw Apache BAE 1-29 02005600, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, n.d., viewed on 2 March 2012 <http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siarchives&uri=full=3100001~!33347~!0>.
5) Beeche, Robyn, Pirate, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
6) Blanket 1870 - 1880, Rodee, P2003, Weaving of the Southwest:From the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen PA
7) Beeche, Robyn, Savage Collection, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
8) MNAM CCI Paris, Studio in the Hotel Regina 1953, Bergruen et al, P2002, Henri Matisse Drawing With Scissors, Prestel, Munich
9) Dress Malcolm McLaren, n.d., viewed on 16 February 2012 <http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80087569?rpp=60&pg=2&ft=Vivienne+Westwood&img=2>.
10) Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Gals, video, 103clips, 18 February 2006, viewed on 21 March 2012, <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14en_malcolm-mclaren-buffalo-gals_news>.
11) Punkature Vivienne Westwood 1982 Paris, video, boogietv, 21 October 2009, viewed on 15 March 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miMkdjDMmKg>.
12) Beeche, Robyn, Punkature Runway detail, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
13) Blade Runner image, 2 May 2008, viewed on 8 March 2012 <http://io9.com/385974/la-to-become-blade-runner+esque-dystopia>.
14) Mercury Wallpaper designed by Lewis F. Day, n.d., viewed on 8 March 2012 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O228211/wallpaper-mercury-low-price-wallpapers-for/>
15) Malcolm McLaren Double Dutch, video, 29 June 2007, viewed 21 February 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6Co7EMNCU>.
16) Chi, Tseng Kwong, P1984, Art in Transit, Harmony Books, New York
17) Meisel, Steven, (original US Vogue June 1983), Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
18) Women’s bomber jacket and skirt designed by Vivienne Westwood, n.d., viewed on 23 March 2012 <http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=353280>.
19) Munoz, Eduardo, Reuters, Haitian Voodoo, n.d., viewed on 24 March 2012 <http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_nv/more/section/archive?date=2009/7>.
7) Beeche, Robyn, Savage Collection, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
8) MNAM CCI Paris, Studio in the Hotel Regina 1953, Bergruen et al, P2002, Henri Matisse Drawing With Scissors, Prestel, Munich
9) Dress Malcolm McLaren, n.d., viewed on 16 February 2012 <http://metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/80087569?rpp=60&pg=2&ft=Vivienne+Westwood&img=2>.
10) Malcolm McLaren - Buffalo Gals, video, 103clips, 18 February 2006, viewed on 21 March 2012, <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x14en_malcolm-mclaren-buffalo-gals_news>.
11) Punkature Vivienne Westwood 1982 Paris, video, boogietv, 21 October 2009, viewed on 15 March 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miMkdjDMmKg>.
12) Beeche, Robyn, Punkature Runway detail, Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
13) Blade Runner image, 2 May 2008, viewed on 8 March 2012 <http://io9.com/385974/la-to-become-blade-runner+esque-dystopia>.
14) Mercury Wallpaper designed by Lewis F. Day, n.d., viewed on 8 March 2012 <http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O228211/wallpaper-mercury-low-price-wallpapers-for/>
15) Malcolm McLaren Double Dutch, video, 29 June 2007, viewed 21 February 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6Co7EMNCU>.
16) Chi, Tseng Kwong, P1984, Art in Transit, Harmony Books, New York
17) Meisel, Steven, (original US Vogue June 1983), Wilcox, P2004, Vivienne Westwood, V&A Publications, London
18) Women’s bomber jacket and skirt designed by Vivienne Westwood, n.d., viewed on 23 March 2012 <http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=353280>.
19) Munoz, Eduardo, Reuters, Haitian Voodoo, n.d., viewed on 24 March 2012 <http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_nv/more/section/archive?date=2009/7>.
