“A Duty To Offend”: The Art Of The Punk Black Leather Jacket – Design You Trust

“A Duty To Offend”: The Art Of The Punk Black Leather Jacket

1

When a chubby Marlon Brando roared into town on a motorbike in ‘The Wild One’ he popularized the black leather jacket as a fashionable symbol of rebellion. Leather jackets may have been worn by bikers for protection, but they were quickly adopted by rock musicians (from Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, The Beatles to Elvis) as an endorsement of their outsider status.

h/t: dangerousminds, flashbak

2

While fashions changed in the 1960s to soft denim and psychedelic colors, the black leather jacket never lost its iconic status as edgy, radical and subversive. The black leather jacket of the revolutionary students in Paris in 1968, became the fashionable uniform of the chaotic Baader-Meinhof, before returning to its spiritual home in the form of the matching outfits of proto-punk rockers The Ramones.

3

Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy made the black leather jacket de rigueur for punks, and soon became the latest fashion sold by a canny Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren in their London boutique SEX.

4

Teenagers across the UK bought cheap black leather or faux leather jackets and decorated them with the names of their favorite bands, political slogans, or mini manifestoes written in White Out, paint, or nail polish. There was a naif art to such DIY accessorizing, a uniqueness that encapsulated the essence of punk (its ability to offend) and the character of the jacket’s owner.

5

6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Would You Wear This Portable Retractable Safety Mitt To Help You Not Touch Anything?
Polish Designer Livia Clue Bringing Slavic Ethno Into Modern Fashion, It’s Great!
"Memes of the Floating World": Artist Recreates Favorite Memes In Japanese Print Styles
Artist Recreated A Miniature Version Of The Town Of Castle Rock From Stephen King’s Novel
Simon Lee's Superb Sculptures of Hellish Monsters from the Underworld
Here’s How Employees From Different Industries Decorated Their Workplaces With Very Fitting Christmas Trees
Artist Shapes Old Cutlery Into Magnificent Metal Sculptures Of Animals
Miami Artist Renders Beautiful Persian Rugs With Acrylic And Ink
104-Year-Old Grandma Yarn-Bombs Her Town
Tattoo Artist Métamose Creates Visual Poems On Skin
Giant Skeletons Emerge From A Street In Mexico City
Japanese Student Makes A Bouncy Line Of Rubber Band Clothing
Toy Retailer Hired A Designer To Create ‘Friends’ Barbie Dolls, And They Delivered
An Impressive Caravan Built Entirely from Lego Bricks
Housewares To Make You Smile By Beardbangs Ceramics
"Panzerbike": German Mechanics Create World’s Largest Motorcycle
Wearable Macramé Sculptures By Sandra De Groot Serve As Soft Headpieces And Armor
Magical Glow-In-The-Dark Bookmarks By Manon Richard
People Are Posting ‘Illegal’ Lego Building Techniques And They Are Actually Genius
Unbelievable Hyper-Realistic Sculptures By Andy Wright
Street Artist Greg Suits Turns An Abandoned Building Into A Giant Skull
This Artist Reimagines Old Myths & Legends In His Unique, Dark Style
Russian Artist’s Cute Felted Wool Animals Might Hypnotize You With Their Googly Eyes
Offensive Plates To Insult Your Guests With Class