New Punk On The Block

Once upon a time I wore only creepers, sewed all my patches on with waxy cinnamon dental floss, sported a nail in my septum piercing & shaved my head with a daisy razor, it's true. While I never left the music or ethics behind I did lose the nail & let my hair grow out (my mother couldn't be prouder).

Lately I have been overwhelmed with nostalgia for the grrrl I see in my high school year books. It may have a lot to do with some of the current fashion trends I'm seeing EVERYWHERE! From Etsy to Elle - Punk has been polished, embellished & revamped. Notice that I didn't say resurrected... Plaid, chains, zippers, studs & fishnets - all marching down the runway. Totally polished. Totally punk.

A few of these items have some very "unpunk" price tags. This white Thakoon shift is an updated nod to the bondage pants I once wore religiously, but for $1,500 I'd have to get married in it! Which isn't a bad idea come to think of it... It would also be fairly simple & loads of fun to recreate! On the flip side this Hexagon Necklace from Good Friday is about as punk as it gets. Handmade by a rebellious girl named Rebecca in West Hollywood AND it will only run you $34.


All of these designs could easily be turned DIY with just a few studs, spikes, sequins & a few rolls of ribbons that could be used as fancy patches. Turn a pair of fishnets into something unreal or change the hemline of that old tartan mini skirt & wait for the heads to turn. You may have a hard time finding cool studs at your local craft store but thats what the webernetz are for! Check out Studs & Spikes for some truly tough touches.

I don't even want to know what this Rodarte get up would cost, but a pair of scissors will lead you down the path of pure punk rock perfection. Thrift it, slice it, chop it up & if you lose control, taking it a little too far pick up some zippers and put it back together. Speaking of zippers, I have an all consuming crush on Kate Cusack's creations. Stunning bracelets, necklaces & more made entirely of zippers. They twist, turn, & coil making my heart growl. Finally fashion that shows it's teeth!

Recently I picked up a fair amount of colorful vintage Chanel chain. It's light & flashy & an answer to my prayers. While Chanel is very posh - it never struck me as punk. I've made it my goal to bring it to the other side. In the coming weeks I'll be posting lots of new chain link jewelry in the shop like these Posh Punk lavender & gold earrings you see here.

In short, I'm happy to report that punk is not dead. It was just a nasty rumor.
It is alive & well & prettier than ever!

She Who Holds The Key

While attempting to de-clutter my house I came across my collection of unidentified keys. There were almost a dozen of them and there was no way I could just toss them out! That would be so cruel! I mean, some of them were gifts intended to be crafted with. Some (I believe) were from jobs I hated & others are a total mystery. They'd been hanging around here for this long just waiting to be revamped, so I drank a lot of coffee, popped in Teen Witch & got to work! This was a fun project for me because I was able to create some things that I wouldn't normally. Sometime you just have to venture to the other side of your crafty tracks and try something new.

This one is my favorite. This key is not a mystery, I know exactly where it came from. It was the key to the first apartment I ever lived in alone. I was 19 & had just broken up with my boyfriend. Most of the time I lived there I didn't even realize how great it was to have my very own place because I was so broken hearted. But - this wasn't the key the office gave me, this a copy I had made for my boyfriend when we started dating again. I know - how can I get rid of something with so much sentimental value? Well, we've been together ever since I gave to him so I like to think that this key is lucky. I want spread the luck & the love around. Maybe it could be the key to your heart too...

One of my ALL TIME favorite movies is Return to Oz and this necklace reminds me it. Not only because of the chain (which is vintage Chanel by the way) but because of all the keys that Mombi wore around her wrist. Remember they allowed her access to her collection of heads? I thought she was so creepy & because she was creepy she was COOL! Am I alone here? I mean she had a gang of Wheelers! Wow. Anyway, I digress. The key that brings it all together is unlike any other I've ever seen. I'm not sure what it was ever used for but I love the design so much. It looks like it really means business. Who ever said keys had to be boring?

Before I went on decorating the rest of the keys I became inspired to make my own. I had an idea for this shield floating around in my head for a while but was unsure how to finish it off. Duh! Turquoise key! Do expect more keyed up jewelry, I'm not sure when I will get all of them, but I intend to make every last one of them wearable art. If you have extra keys laying about I'd love to see you make something out of them! Lighten the load from your key ring and get crafting! Then, pretty please show me what you make :D




All items seen here are available @ www.modelcitizenclothing.com

p.s. The pictures in this post were made possible by the all too giving and unbelievably sweet ♥ Patri, who contacted me out of the blue on Flickr and offered me a camera that she was no longer using. Thank You so much! Alright everybody! Big Applause! Let's show this lady some love!