Afros with sideburns, the suit that just will not wrinkle known as the leisure suit, and disco balls. The 70s a time known mostly for all the dreams of love and peace when one is not dancing to the BeeGees feeling high thanks to certain substances. A time that one can understand when they watch the 1973 movie Godspell; that people were high on more than just the holy spirit. With all this love one another going on; where could the young adult filled with rebellion and a taste to smash things and people? Something that was not the popular but meant something because it refuses to be tainted by the mainstream.
Punk music became a cultural uprising in the 1970s and many say it was born in a little venue in Manhatan, New York called CBGB. CBGB, which means Country Blue Grass and Blues, was a place where the young teen filled with angst could go and listen to some bands who were unsigned and sang about anything but love and peace. CBGB opened in 1973 and was to feature bands that played Country and Bluegrass but then became the place that introduced Patti Smith, Blondie, The Dead Boys, one of my favorites Sleater-Kinney, and the more infamous band The Ramones. A place well known not only for their music, but the atmosphere that had walls covered in Graffiti and posters. A landmark for the culture of punk that had to shut its doors in 2006 because of the increase in rent.
Manhattan now does not have the same vibe it once did back in the day. A place where all the hip underground kids would hang, is now a place where the uptown kids can shop for top designer duds. With the vacant CBGB having this upscale atmosphere built around it; will it lose its historical value to a SoHo-like shop?
In 2007 fashion designer John Varvatos bought the CBGB space to open his new store. John Varvatos made sure that the history of his place would not vanish. Varvatos preserved the walls from the graffiti right down the a cracks and holes it he walls. The posters that once advertised the bands that were to play there are now framed in the store along with a drum set and guitars. The store has old Victorian furniture that looks like it was picked up at a flea market and the floor is dark hardwood. The spirit is brought back not only in the store decor, but in the clothes as well. In the Ads of John Varvatos' 2008 summer collection is long time rock band Cheap Trick that have preformed on the CBGB stage.
John Varvatos clothes feature worn out leather jackets so you can be just like Johnny Ramone. Worn out jeans and a hoodie that looks like it has been in a tub mixed with water and chlorine. Also some nice V-neck shirts that make you look like you don't spend to much time finding what to wear just how men are known to look. Varvatos also maintains a more sophisticated look with his blazers and dress pants that reflected his days working for Polo Ralph Lauren and Clavin Klien. The only thing that makes this store blend in with its upscale surroundings is the price tags on these vintage-like garments. A leather jacket that has that worn out touch can cost around 2,000 dollars. So it is not at a punk kids price range who rather scour a second hand shop.
Though Mr. Varvatos clothes that are sold at all the Big Department stores such as Nordstorm and Saks Fifth and small boutiques, they are not in the budget of a college student who works a part time job who wears their clothes over and over again until they go home where the laundry machine does not require quarters to function. But one thing that is affordable for a college student who adores the works of this winner of the CDFA designer of the year award, are the shoes he made for Converse. Converse, which celebrates it's Centennial this year, had joined forced with John Varvatos for a few years and he designed some converse shoes that can be purchased on the Converse website.
John Varvatos' work with Converse is interesting because Converse shoes are the shoes that are essential for the grunge rock and punk attire. Famous punk band The Ramones matched their Converse shoes with their worn down leather jackets and grunge king Kurt Cobain also wore the converse shoes and both bands have preformed on the CBGB stage before they were mainstream. A man who respects and love the footwear of these bands also respects the place that they preformed when they were just an unknown band. No other designer would do this old rock place justice like Varvatos did. A designer that respects the space that shunned the fashion world and that the fashion world was inspired by. It is true what they say, that fashion trickles up as well as it does down, and Mr. Varvatos preserves a culture where fashion and music are hand in hand.
v To check out the boutique click that v
http://www.johnvarvatos.com/#/shop/john_varvatos_boutiques/
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