Punk’s Not Dead:

How the Rebellious Scene Still Rocks the Political World.

With fascism at an all-time high today, punk rock is more important than ever. Fashion has always been radical. From the feminist 1920s to Roman protests of 20AD, fashion has been an art form first, and protective second. Your clothes can tell a person your interests, your profession, mood, and even political alignments.  

Punk rock is characterised with a DIY philosophy: flannels and leather jackets, pins and anti-fascist slogans. But it’s not just an aesthetic, or a peaceful protest. It’s radical anarchy.  

So why is punk inherently political?  

Punk began as an anti-authoritative movement that empowered the lower classes by championing a ‘reuse reduce recycle’ mindset to fashion. It encourages its followers to question the systems, to look out for the oppressed, and to wear a lot of safety pins. Originating in a garage in mid 1970s New York, then to the UK in 1978, where the term was coined by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood as she tailored The Sex Pistols. Other bands chased the aesthetic as an expression of genre. This makes the movement unique, as it’s one of the only alternative subcultures whose music came first. So yes, it is inherently political. And that’s pretty punk rock.

Words by Ella Shedd (she/her/they)

Rockin’ the fashions.