It has been five days since I heard the news that Malcolm McLaren passed away. When I heard the news I felt ambivalent. I didn’t want to do a “happy” dance or shed a tear. *shrug*. Whatever…So why am I blogging about this? Reflection tends to come with death; any death, and Malcolm’s death has made me pause and reflect upon my fashion influences.
I vividly remember trying to recreate the looks that were depicted in the film “The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle”. I saw the beautiful and the vulgar coexisting and that concept excited me! This was the first time I ever heard the name Malcolm McLaren and it was also during this time that I was most excited about clothing. I started to read all the fashion rags including the imported “Vogue” magazines from London and Paris. I thought I was so chic.
The 80’s were a great time for me to mix and match and have fun with clothes. Vintage clothing seemed to be teeming from every thrift store and parents of friends were giving it away to me in truckloads! I would put together the most hideous outfits, wear them, knowing I might be put to ridicule but damn it, I was proud of my creations. I ponder what my wardrobe would have been like all these years if I had never seen video clips of Adam Ant on music shows prior to Mtv.
Today, I still have fun mixing and matching styles, designs, colors and textures. Now I take cues from Betsey Johnson and designers on Etsy. I’m not hard to miss sporting a Joan Jett haircut, wearing Chuck Taylors and a Max Azria dress while carrying one of Betsey’s signature bags.
Malcolm didn’t put his name on a label, and there are those of you out there to dispute just what he DID contribute to fashion; but acknowledging he was in the middle of an explosive time of fashion is without a doubt.
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