Punk Jewelry: Chaos or Compliance?

Editorial assistant Stephanie Schaefer and I live-tweeted last night’s Met Gala red carpet. Here are our thoughts as well reactions from JCK‘s Twitter followers on fashion’s attempt at punking out.  

DF: Much of the fashion seen at last night’s Met Gala wasn’t punk.

I’ve been told that designers like Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, and musical acts like The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and Blondie defined the punk movement. The research I did going into the evening—which seemed a lot more thorough than any done by the celebrities and interviewers before the event—made me disappointed that the spirit, if not the actual look, of that era wasn’t better portrayed.

As a student of history—and a lover of music—I believe important cultural movements mean something more than just a few songs on an oldies station and leather jackets and Levis on Joey Ramone. These movements are an echo of who we once were and answers to how we became the society we are now. The closest last night came to accurately representing punk was the re-creation of the bathroom at CBGB. The fashion world can do better.

SS: While I admit that when watching last night’s red carpet I felt as if I had stepped into Cyndi Lauper’s closet, I agree with Daniel’s statement about the cultural importance of the past—a history long before the birth of Avril Lavigne, whom one red carpet-goer called the queen of punk (sigh).

Yes, most celebrities may have looked like they were going to a bad 1980s prom, but the whole idea of the Met Gala is to celebrate fashion. Some celebs, like Anne Hathaway—who channeled her inner Debbie Harry in vintage Valentino gown and blonde pixie cut—did pay homage to that idea accurately last night.

Ultimately, every decade, movement, and ideal has had an influence on fashion and jewelry, and while we don’t have to sport fake nose rings and ear gauges to prove it, sometimes it’s fun to dress (and accessorize) out of your comfort zone—and as Ms. Lauper says, girls just want to have fun.

For more coverage of the Met Gala, check out:

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