“They were
selling
bits of rubber
clothing for the pervs”
Punk.
Malcom McLaren, owner of a Teddy Boys boutique on the Kings Road had become heavily influenced by the sound of the New York Dolls. McLaren was ready to make a statement- this vision, combined with his art school flare, birthed perhaps one of the most integral parts of punk culture - SEX.
He rebranded the Teddy Boy boutique SEX and began to sell veraciously sexual clothing along with Vivienne Westwood. John Lydon, who would later work closely with McLaren when he managed the Sex Pistols, was captivated by the sinister feel of SEX and worked at the counter before transforming into the infamous Johnny Rotten.
Punk may have drastically changed music and fashion but its reach was far wider than that - It altered the ways in which Britain saw and thought about itself. It was both a beginning and an end. A socio-economic revolution that brought about a much needed breath of fresh air.