New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted this annual A-list party to celebrate their 'Punk: Chaos to Couture' fashion exhibit.

The exhibition aims to show the relationship between the original punk concept of “do-it-yourself” and the couture concept of “made-to-measure” through a collection of original punk garments and contemporary fashion. Originating from the anti-establishment punk anarchy of the 1970s, this fashion statement rejected the affected excess of the music and fashion world. It began as a defiantly anti-materialistic statement, yet now forms a striking visual symbol that inspires haute couture. Themes of the exhibition include New York and London, Clothes for Heroes and four manifestations of the D.I.Y. aesthetic—Hardware, Bricolage, Graffiti and Agitprop, and Destroy, pictures of which feature on the museum’s website:

http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2013/punk

Far from a rebellion, this style is now influencing contemporary mainstream fashion. Can designers truly label their work as ‘punk’? Placing the ‘chaos’ into the world of couture and celebrity status surely filters the essence of ‘punk’ to such an extent that it subverts it's true purpose.

Many celebrities embraced the theme at the party, with inevitable red carpet style successes and fashion disasters. They drew upon aspects of the widely ranging eras of punk fashion, but in their A-list spotlight leaned predictably towards ‘couture’ style. Many would argue that punk should remain as ‘chaos’ and shouldn’t enter this celebrity realm, but the exhibition shows that there are in fact no rules with ‘punk’ - it inspires and can evolve in whatever form of artistic expression.

Inspired, we found punk fashion on Cambridge’s high street to show that this daring style is accessible and ‘ready-to-wear’. 

Photography: Lottie Franklin

Styling: Kate Cheng

Models: Heather Mckay & Conner Noteboom