PUNK IS LOUDLY BACK – R13
Fuck You You Fucking Fuck
Punk is back – fuck yeah!
Although it has arguably never left, punk is back in a BIG way for Fall 2021. Several designers have unveiled new punk-inspired designs on their most recent runways, and celebs like Halsey and Miley Cyrus are fully immersing themselves in the punk world – both musically and aesthetically. We first saw Miley head back in the punk direction when she performed on Saturday Night Live rocking that new punk rock ponytail. Halsey’s new album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, takes the singer in a decidedly more punk direction, which makes total sense given the fact that the album was produced by punk maestros Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
One big punk fashion moment: Chris Leba’s newest collection for R13. Leba’s designs have always been famously flashy and graphically appealing, but behind the punky exterior, there’s a lot of care and beauty built into each garment. For his pre-fall 2021 collection, Leba focused on denim and leather – both punk staples that mold to the body and improve with each wear. There’s also a big offering of T-shirts emblazoned with The Clash graphics (an obsession from Leba’s youth), as well as splashes of flannel to fully round out the punk attitude. This show was stripped of the usual styling and accessories, giving it a more minimal, essential feeling, which in turn proved that the clothes in this collection can (and will) have many lives.
One big highlight of this show was the lingerie/underwear. Leba leaned heavily into this category for the pre-fall 2021 show, referencing the casualization of lingerie at home, not seen through Zoom screens.
“We could all be in our underwear and not know,” Leba joked. “Underwear becomes a thing because you’re seeing it, whereas before, you don’t see it as often.”
And see it we definitely do in Leba’s latest designs. Bralette and brief sets juxtaposed his more structured looks, which offered a more rebellious spirit to the functional, comfortable clothes. Of course, the punk spirit was there: “FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING FUCK” proudly showed through on waistbands of the underpieces, as well as along suspender straps.
This quote could be a nod to the recent “spring awakening” happening among scores of hormonally-charged young people who are ready to start, um, “mingling” again. Or it could just simply be an exclamation of punk-infused freedom. Either way, it definitely drives home the main idea here:
“Fuck you.”
