In December 2020, I interviewed my good friend, the artist, author and a director of Transition Gallery, Alex Michon for an article for Bon Journal known as ‘Can what you put on change who you’re?’ I might solely function a few her soundbites within the piece, however on just lately rediscovering the transcript, I realised she had some unimaginable insights right into a pivotal time for younger girls and their angle to garments and self-expression. I spoke to her about her years designing and making garments (alongside her good friend Krystyna Kolowska) for The Conflict on the peak of their affect alongside together with her personal private type metamorphosis as a response to residing in Seventies Britain.
DRG: Are you able to describe the outfits that you just made for the Conflict? What was the temporary from [Clash manager] Bernie Rhodes for you and Krystyna, that he was making an attempt to realize?
Alex Michon: The temporary was that the garments needed to be hard-wearing as a result of as Bernard [Rhodes] had mentioned there was going to be “a variety of combating on the streets”. Then there was that fantastic factor, the place for vogue reference, he mentioned we needed to watch The Battle of Algiers. This was the movie that was towards the French colonialism in Algiers and to me, was a very attention-grabbing sort of vogue signifier that he gave us.
I by no means watched it really! I simply noticed pictures of it, so I took some reference from these pictures together with the concept that the garments needed to be hard-wearing. I suppose perhaps there was a military thought to it. Though Bernard by no means used the phrase ‘military’; that got here later, everyone calling them ‘fatigues’. It was a lot looser than that. It was rather more conceptual. In order Krystyna and I have been designing the garments, there have been these numerous concepts floating round in what I name my ‘Imaginarium’.
While you produced these designs, and the band put them on, how do you suppose they felt in them?
I feel what it did was it enhanced the thought of a shared identification which they already had from once they have been portray their boilersuits and sneakers in this type of replaying of the Jackson Pollock factor. To me, the thrilling factor was that that they had regarded like artwork college students who had simply walked out of the studio and strapped on their guitars.
They have been enjoying round with the garments themselves, like Paul Simonon had been portray bullet holes onto white shirts. They have been all stenciling their shirts. So, after we made the primary jackets, they have been templates that they continued to stencil on. In a manner, that transformative thought of them, altering their very own garments and dealing on their garments had began earlier than I got here alongside. And I feel we have been simply an growth of that, as a result of as Joe Strummer mentioned, he didn’t wish to put on lifeless man’s garments anymore (which means he didn’t wish to put on issues from charity outlets). The garments have been of their time, so the templates that we made have been up to date templates that they put their very own concepts on prime of. And that was vital as a result of it meant this complete thought of punk was not about wanting again, however a brand new sort of modernism – the longer term relatively than lifeless males’s previous.
What Bernard was desirous about was creating a group in the best way that Vivienne Westwood had created a group as nicely. It was very a lot of the time. A lot of folks have been making their very own garments, a number of folks have been serious about new methods of dressing throughout punk. We simply had this chance of doing that however having these individuals who have been in a band to do it with. So, it was completely by no means dressing them for his or her specific personalities. We’d make issues and they’d select what they needed from the gathering.
So, there’d be a spread of shirts they usually’d select which one they needed, or they’d request particular issues. For instance, Paul [Simonon] needed a shirt with a cut-up Union Jack. He requested for that particularly. That wasn’t Bernie telling him that he needed to put on that, he got here to us and mentioned, “Oh, hear, I’ve bought this concept, okay”. We labored on that after which we might put in our personal concepts. After which, issues like Joe would say, “I actually desire a pocket in my trousers to place my guitar decide in”. In addition they requested for epaulettes on shirts, so we labored with that concept.
It was collaborative. They might specify issues and we’d counsel issues after which we’d present them. It was like creating a spread that they’d then select from. It was taking what they’d achieved earlier than, like with the zip jacket we did, which was sort of a nod to the Pollocks as a result of the zips have been meant to appear like the paint traces. After which we did a variety of petrol blue jackets to start with which referenced the boilersuits. After which white shirts. Paul had been sporting the white shirts with purple, so we used the purple. After which it sort of grew from that.
We weren’t dressing them. We have been designing a brand new assortment though we by no means known as it that. That may have gave the impression to be a bit naff! I used to be 18, 19, I used to be simply one of many punks, you recognize, it was all very DIY.
Inform me in regards to the garments that you just have been sporting as a shy punk. On the one hand, the favored picture of the feminine punks could be very provocative, hyper sexual and fetishy, epitomised by Jordan. However then you definately additionally had the shy punks which have been perhaps extra androgynous. How did the garments that you just wore as a shy punk categorical you or change your character or the best way you felt or behaved?
The androgyny factor was very uppermost in the beginning. Plenty of ties, you recognize, sort of faculty uniform-ish kind stuff. You’d all the time put on a white shirt with a black tie, black jacket, black trousers. Then there could be miniskirts which I made that have been just like the trousers as a result of I bear in mind Joe saying, “you by no means put on the garments. Why don’t you put on the garments?” So I made a mini skirt that was very just like the trousers. And it was very hard-wearing and it zipped up the edges and I made one for Gina from The Raincoats. And I made fairly just a few for Jeannette Lee. I might put on the miniskirt quite a bit, however I might put on it with very darkish black tights. It wasn’t sexual in a manner, it was simply hard-wearing. And I all the time wore it with both flat males’s sneakers or boots, most likely some sort of jumper on the highest and a jacket. It was positively not meant to be horny.
How did you’re feeling if you have been sporting these sorts of garments?
In punk instances what you wore was a badge. exhibiting that you just belonged to this motion, that you just have been a part of a revolution, this new factor that was occurring. The garments have been extraordinarily vital for singling you out and figuring out you with that tribe. And so how did I really feel? Effectively, I all the time simply needed to be a Slit, clearly, as all of us did. Or Patti Smith. Particularly the Patti Smith Horses album cowl. Plenty of shy punk ladies could be dressing making an attempt to appear like Patti. And I used to be all the time making an attempt to both appear like Patti Smith or making an attempt to appear like The Slits of their schoolgirl part.
What did Patti Smith symbolize to you that you just have been making an attempt to embed your self in?
Patti Smith represented magnificence, energy, and a brand new manner of being a lady, which is what The Slits represented as nicely. It was a brand new manner of being a feminine that actually resonated with the Shy Lady. As a result of right here was a manner the place you possibly can gender-play, tackle that androgynous function. And also you didn’t need to sexualise your self. That was fantastic, to get away from the 70s, the place it was very, very acceptable to make sexist feedback on a regular basis. I had sort of spent my complete teenage years in a semi cringe, a semi anxiousness about being feminine and feeling extremely shy about my very own physique.
When Patti Smith got here alongside, and when punk got here alongside and you possibly can be a bit androgynous, that sort of swept all that away. You didn’t need to care about what males considered you anymore. All of the indicators that you just have been placing out have been, “I’m punk, you recognize, I’m not only a lady” factor. In order that was essential and made me really feel extra comfy in my very own pores and skin and in my shyness. Out of the blue, it wasn’t about being sexual. It was about one thing else. That sort of awks that you just felt on a regular basis as a lady within the 70s, which was appalling.
Alex additionally emailed me this paragraph on the time, which strongly resonated with me:
“(Politics with a small p) is in regards to the micro-politics of on a regular basis life. Concerning the minute-by-minute decisions and selections that make us who we’re. Concerning the politics of identification and place. I feel that is notably related to the little selections all of us make when deciding what we’re going to placed on each day. Clothes is a performative act which includes the dipping into the dressing up field of our personal private re-remembered narratives. Aesthetic signifiers taken from movies, books, private histories which journey with us by way of our life.
Issues like black stockings and polo necks will add a contact of the beatnik, black kohled eyes will take us to Godard’s movies evoking the Paris scholar revolts of 1968. The signifiers we select when donning clothes could also be imperceptible to others; we don’t replay our costuming of eras or movie stars of their entirety, however they’re our personal tiny private homages to issues we now have cherished or been influenced by. For certain this putting-on enjoying modifications us. We tackle these re-imagined remembrances to dress ourselves so that they change into like magical fetishes which imbue us with the ability, magnificence and self-confidence of their authentic wearers.”
What different punk appears have been interesting to you?
The Slits – they have been doing one thing that was extraordinary. They have been enjoying with gender stereotypes just like the social gathering costume. Viv Albertine had this social gathering costume we sewed for her (beneath), which she mentioned was like her favorite social gathering costume when she was a little bit lady. Like all of us had after we have been little, you recognize with the puff sleeves and the lover neckline and the piqué cloth. I simply thought that was extraordinary. She needed it precisely like her social gathering costume, however for her as a grown up. However then she blended it with plimsolls after which with the fantastic addition of the socks knotted within the hair. So, it sort of detoured the entire thought of the younger lady – just like the naughty lady who would mess up her uniform. I noticed the socks as sort of a nod to Rasta hair styling, you recognize what I imply? After which the sort of low pumps, which meant that there weren’t excessive heels. So, all these little significations have been superb.
And I’ve to inform you about their gymslips. As a result of now we now have all that concept of gymslips and previous perverts sexualising schoolgirls, however they weren’t like that in any respect. They took that concept and turned it on its head, they kind of used the gymslip as a weapon towards that stereotype. They blended it up with St Trinian-esque tousled hair, after which most significantly to me, which was such an vital signifier, have been the tights! You understand, if you have been in class and used to have these gray ribbed tights they usually all the time used to sort of buckle up on the knees? So the fitness center slip could be worn with these thick ribbed gray tights, which once more fully de-sexualised it.
I assumed this was so nice! To put on that uniform that you just used to put on however to sort of reclaim it. And to make use of it as a signifier of being feminine however to fully de-sexualise it, and take out any sort of paedophilic context, and in addition to place it there as a mark towards any sort of particular person looking for a schoolgirl horny, as a result of they’ve bought the tousled wild hair. They’d be screaming and screeching and enjoying guitars and but that they had these faculty uniforms on. And in order that was essential. And naturally, Ari [Up] was extraordinary, as a result of she wore very lengthy pleated skirts and it had such an impression on me. However I couldn’t actually do it as a result of I didn’t really feel I used to be as lovely or as courageous as The Slits.
So, Ari would put on these lengthy pleated skirts. After which she would put on one thing very unusual and really exceptional in punk; Roots sneakers. These sort of round-toed, brown, pure leather-based sneakers? It was what Rasta girls wore and she or he would put on them with white polka dot socks; that was very massive in punk – black and white polka dot socks. They’d been very round within the 70s, very a lot in magazines like Honey and Petticoat they usually survived by way of to punk.
The opposite particular person I all the time needed to appear like and I might copy her, was Jeannette Lee (beneath), who for me was simply an inspirational type icon. She could be sporting one among my miniskirts with a matelot blue and white striped prime, with a Nineteen Forties royal blue long-to-the-ankle mac. She would all the time put on excessive heels as a result of she was tiny, however with thick darkish black tights. After which she would have the hair in a excessive cascading ponytail which made her appear like a Ronette. She additionally wore over-the-knee excessive leather-based boots or 1940’s snakeskin platform sneakers which have been so fascinating. She instructed me she bought them from Petticoat Lane market and I went on a fruitless search to search out some comparable.
I used to be additionally sporting these Nineteen Fifties denims which have been virtually like child’s denims. They have been created from very light-weight denims cloth. They have been actually low-cost. They’d a straight leg and I wore them with a pair of plastic pixie boots with a tiny heel. I simply wore these on a regular basis – that was my uniform with most likely a black or white shirt. I don’t suppose these denims are round any extra, they regarded just like the kind of denims a younger American child would put on within the 50s, like these 50’s posters of little boys ingesting Coke or one thing.
Again to Jeannette Lee. I imply, she’s simply nonetheless lovely and superb and she or he was mesmerising. After which when she was in Public Picture Restricted, it’s essential take a look at a few of the pictures of her in that band. One factor she wears is a protracted white social gathering costume. Then there may be a picture of her in a really ornate (pre-Blitz children) Regency jacket. She was forward of her time and she or he blended up the entire punk look with 1940’s stuff and simply had her personal distinctive look. Me, so long as I had my 50’s cute American light-weight denims, my black shirt and my plastic pixie boots, I used to be good to go. I did put on my zipped mini skirt too, however I don’t bear in mind ever sporting a costume throughout punk instances. I used to be positively gender-playing as boy!
Preserve a watch out for Half 2 of Alex Michon’s recollections, coming quickly.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Alex Michon in her stitching studio sporting Joe Strummer’s jacket, by Rocco Redundo; The Slits by Anton Corbijn; Jeannette Lee by Janette Beckman
NOTE: Most pictures are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate hyperlinks and PR samples. Please learn my privateness and cookies coverage right here
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