In December 2020, I interviewed my pal, the artist, author and a director of Transition Gallery, Alex Michon for an article for Bon Journal referred to as ‘Can what you put on change who you’re?’ I may 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 perspective to garments and self-expression. I spoke to her about her years designing and making garments (alongside her pal Krystyna Kolowska) for The Conflict on the peak of their affect alongside together with her personal private fashion metamorphosis as a response to dwelling in Seventies Britain.
DRG: Are you able to describe the outfits that you just made for the Conflict? What was the transient from [Clash manager] Bernie Rhodes for you and Krystyna, that he was making an attempt to realize?
Alex Michon: The transient was that the garments needed to be hard-wearing as a result of as Bernard [Rhodes] had stated there was going to be “numerous combating on the streets”. Then there was that great factor, the place for vogue reference, he stated we needed to watch The Battle of Algiers. This was the movie that was in opposition to the French colonialism in Algiers and to me, was a very attention-grabbing form of vogue signifier that he gave us.
I by no means watched it truly! I simply noticed pictures of it, so I took some reference from these pictures together with the concept the garments needed to be hard-wearing. I suppose possibly there was a military concept 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’.
Once 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 concept of a shared identification which they already had from once they have been portray their boilersuits and sneakers in this sort of replaying of the Jackson Pollock factor. To me, the thrilling factor was that they’d seemed 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, once we made the primary jackets, they have been templates that they continued to stencil on. In a means, that transformative concept 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 enlargement of that, as a result of as Joe Strummer stated, he didn’t wish to put on lifeless man’s garments anymore (that means he didn’t wish to put on issues from charity retailers). The garments have been of their time, so the templates that we made have been modern templates that they put their very own concepts on high of. And that was essential as a result of it meant this complete concept of punk was not about wanting again, however a brand new form of modernism – the longer term fairly than lifeless males’s previous.
What Bernard was excited about was creating a set in the way in which that Vivienne Westwood had created a set as effectively. 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 desirous 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 wished from the gathering.
So, there’d be a variety of shirts they usually’d select which one they wished, or they might request particular issues. For instance, Paul [Simonon] wished 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 stated, “Oh, hear, I’ve received 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 might recommend issues after which we’d present them. It was like creating a variety that they might then select from. It was taking what they’d accomplished earlier than, like with the zip jacket we did, which was form of a nod to the Pollocks as a result of the zips have been meant to appear like the paint strains. After which we did numerous petrol blue jackets at first which referenced the boilersuits. After which white shirts. Paul had been carrying the white shirts with purple, so we used the purple. After which it form of grew from that.
We weren’t dressing them. We have been designing a brand new assortment though we by no means referred to as it that. That may have appeared to be a bit naff! I used to be 18, 19, I used to be simply one of many punks, you already know, it was all very DIY.
Inform me in regards to the garments that you just have been carrying 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 definitely additionally had the shy punks which have been possibly extra androgynous. How did the garments that you just wore as a shy punk specific you or change your persona or the way in which you felt or behaved?
The androgyny factor was very uppermost at the start. Numerous ties, you already know, form of faculty uniform-ish sort stuff. You’d at all times 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 a number of for Jeannette Lee. I’d put on the miniskirt lots, however I’d put on it with very darkish black tights. It wasn’t sexual in a means, it was simply hard-wearing. And I at all times wore it with both flat males’s sneakers or boots, most likely some form of jumper on the highest and a jacket. It was positively not meant to be attractive.
How did you’re feeling whenever you have been carrying these varieties 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 essential for singling you out and figuring out you with that tribe. And so how did I really feel? Properly, I at all times simply wished to be a Slit, clearly, as all of us did. Or Patti Smith. Particularly the Patti Smith Horses album cowl. Numerous shy punk women could be dressing making an attempt to appear like Patti. And I used to be at all times making an attempt to both appear like Patti Smith or making an attempt to appear like The Slits of their schoolgirl section.
What did Patti Smith characterize to you that you just have been making an attempt to embed your self in?
Patti Smith represented magnificence, energy, and a brand new means of being a lady, which is what The Slits represented as effectively. It was a brand new means of being a feminine that actually resonated with the Shy Woman. As a result of right here was a means the place you possibly can gender-play, tackle that androgynous position. And also you didn’t need to sexualise your self. That was great, to get away from the 70s, the place it was very, very acceptable to make sexist feedback on a regular basis. I had form of spent my complete teenage years in a semi cringe, a semi nervousness 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 form of swept all that away. You didn’t need to care about what males thought of you anymore. All of the indicators that you just have been placing out have been, “I’m punk, you already know, I’m not only a lady” factor. In order that was crucial and made me really feel extra snug in my very own pores and skin and in my shyness. Immediately, it wasn’t about being sexual. It was about one thing else. That form 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. In regards to the minute-by-minute decisions and selections that make us who we’re. In regards to the politics of identification and place. I feel that is significantly related to the little selections all of us make when deciding what we’re going to placed on daily. 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 means 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 pupil 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’ve got cherished or been influenced by. For certain this putting-on enjoying adjustments us. We tackle these re-imagined remembrances to dress ourselves in order that they change into like magical fetishes which imbue us with the ability, magnificence and self-confidence of their unique wearers.”
What different punk seems 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 gown. Viv Albertine had this social gathering gown we sewed for her (beneath), which she stated was like her favorite social gathering gown when she was somewhat woman. Like all of us had once we have been little, you already know with the puff sleeves and the lover neckline and the piqué material. I simply thought that was extraordinary. She wished it precisely like her social gathering gown, however for her as a grown up. However then she blended it with plimsolls after which with the great addition of the socks knotted within the hair. So, it form of detoured the entire concept of the younger woman – just like the naughty woman who would mess up her uniform. I noticed the socks as form of a nod to Rasta hair styling, you already know what I imply? After which the form of low pumps, which meant that there weren’t excessive heels. So, all these little significations have been wonderful.
And I’ve to inform you about their gymslips. As a result of now we’ve got 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 type of used the gymslip as a weapon in opposition to that stereotype. They blended it up with St Trinian-esque tousled hair, after which most significantly to me, which was such an essential signifier, have been the tights! You recognize, whenever you have been in class and used to have these gray ribbed tights they usually at all times used to form of buckle up on the knees? So the fitness center slip could be worn with these thick ribbed gray tights, which once more utterly de-sexualised it.
I assumed this was so nice! To put on that uniform that you just used to put on however to form of reclaim it. And to make use of it as a signifier of being feminine however to utterly de-sexualise it, and take out any form of paedophilic context, and in addition to place it there as a mark in opposition to any form of individual looking for a schoolgirl attractive, as a result of they’ve received the tousled wild hair. They’d be screaming and screeching and enjoying guitars and but they’d these faculty uniforms on. And in order that was crucial. 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 stunning 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 form of round-toed, brown, pure leather-based sneakers? It was what Rasta girls wore and he or she would put on them with white polka dot socks; that was very large 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 means of to punk.
The opposite individual I at all times wished to appear like and I’d copy her, was Jeannette Lee (beneath), who for me was simply an inspirational fashion icon. She could be carrying one in all my miniskirts with a matelot blue and white striped high, with a Nineteen Forties royal blue long-to-the-ankle mac. She would at all times 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 received them from Petticoat Lane market and I went on a fruitless search to seek out some comparable.
I used to be additionally carrying these Nineteen Fifties denims which have been nearly like child’s denims. They have been made out of very light-weight denims material. 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 seemed just like the type 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 stunning and wonderful and he or she was mesmerising. After which when she was in Public Picture Restricted, that you must take a look at a number of the pictures of her in that band. One factor she wears is an extended white social gathering gown. Then there may be a picture of her in a really ornate (pre-Blitz youngsters) Regency jacket. She was forward of her time and he or she 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 carrying a gown throughout punk instances. I used to be positively gender-playing as boy!
Maintain a watch out for Half 2 of Alex Michon’s recollections, coming quickly.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Alex Michon in her stitching studio carrying 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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