Summary
Joy Division , New Order ) or even Mark E. Smith ( The Fall ). The concert itself is organized by Pete Shelley ( Buzzcocks ) and Howard Devoto (Buzzcocks, Magazine ). This story alone illustrates the influence of the Sex Pistols and the punk movement in general on music and English society then in the midst of the depression . It doesn't matter if you know how to sing or play your instrument as long as you have something different to convey: an urgency, a style, an attitude, an energy and of course a few good songs.
The Sex Pistols are a London group formed in 1975 around Steve Jones, Paul Cook, John Lydon known as Johnny Rotten and Glen Matlock - the latter will be replaced in 1977 by the infamous Sid Vicious. The group's manager Malcom McLaren then managed a clothing and accessories store called Sex with his partner Vivienne Westwood .
“Pistol” is a 6-episode miniseries created by Craig Pierce and ordered by the FX channel in early 2021. Initially broadcast in May 2022 on FX, the series is now available on Disney +. It tells the story of the Sex Pistols and is inspired by the book “Lonely Boy: Tales from a Sex Pistol” by one of its founding members, Steve Jones.
Behind the camera: Danny Boyle, director of films like “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. If you are familiar with his work, you will undoubtedly recognize his style. In the cast: Toby Wallace, Anson Boon, Maisie Williams, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and even Sydney Chandler.
© Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images
The Sex Pistols in 1978: Johnny Rotten, Sid Vicious, Steve Jones and Paul Cook (left to right).
1. The Sex Pistols, the profession of costume designer and the punk ethic in clothing.
August 31, 2022. Liza Bracey, the costume designer for the “Pistol” series , receives me from London via Skype. Her career in film and television began at the very end of the 90s. Since then, she has worked on films like " Spike Island " from
“In any case, punk has always interested me: it was such a change! A lot actually happened in England with the arrival of the Sex Pistols. I remember the day my mother came home with the single “ God Save The Queen ” . It influenced me a lot.
Later, when they became a little more commercial, someone gave me the single “ Rock around the clock ” released in 1979 when the group no longer existed. There was a picture of an American Express card on the back. The single was banned from the market because the group did not have the rights to use this image. I must still admit that the Sex Pistols scared me a little . I was young and just the idea of seeing them on stage was something truly terrifying. On the other hand, I loved their style and their clothes. »
“As a child, I had pocket money to buy clothes. But you're never very rich at that age. So the Do It Yourself and homemade side of punk spoke to me a lot . There's a lot of talk today about Pretenders Chrissie Hynde. Steve Jones has said this several times in the media: “ Remember, this is not a documentary .” The series is therefore not exempt from fictional passages, like the relationship between Chrissie Hynde and Steve Jones shown on screen. On the other hand, the character of Sydney Chandler perfectly inhabits the clothes designed by Liza Bracey .
“Sydney Chandler was really great to dress. I actually have an interesting story about it, and once again, I owe it to my buyer Julia, who I mentioned a little above. During my research I found a very nice photo of Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders as a younger girl - this is the character Sydney plays on screen. It's a black and white photo, with a very nice look: she was wearing a striped Mac . I then said to Julia: “It would be great if we could find something like that but I'm not sure it's possible because it's a rather unique piece. »
“She came back to me a week later, telling me she had found the piece. It was exactly the same as in the photo! We obviously tried to highlight it as much as possible in the series. Dressing Sydney Chandler is, so to speak, a dream: everything suits her perfectly and she also loves the clothes . She makes them her own right away. In fact, clothes do more than just fit her: they are like a second skin for her. »
7. The character of Jordan Mooney and the return of sartorial conservatism
Pamela Rooke, better known as Jordan Mooney, was one of the figures of the punk movement: model and collaborator of Vivienne Westwood, she also belonged to the circle of the Sex Pistols. In the series, she is played by Maisie Williams (“Game Of Thrones”) and her character is certainly one of the most stylized of the team. We also find some key figures from the music scene in the background, like Billy Idol or Siouxsie - without her Banshees . What memory does Liza Bracey have of Jordan?
“I remember a particularly moving scene about Jordan Mooney during filming - she has since passed away. We were then in the middle of Covid, everyone had to eat at their own table and outside. The weather wasn't very nice and Jordan had come to the set.
She helped us a lot, told us a lot of stories and anecdotes about the Sex store she worked in. I can still see her that day, telling me how weird she found it to see someone looking like she did when she was younger, dressed exactly the same way, with the same makeup. I couldn't really imagine it myself, but it must indeed be a strange feeling to experience! »
“In the series, her character shocks passers-by when she walks through the city wearing a transparent top, which completely reveals her chest. I think a topless woman in a public space is still quite a shocking image for people today. Strangely, I even think that it's much easier to shock people with an outfit today than in the Sex Pistols era. »
“For example, we had some problems with the messages written on the t-shirts made by Vivienne Westwood. They were made to be shocking at the time: that was the goal. Today, you really have to be careful with that, people are more easily outraged. This is not necessarily a bad thing because there are certain images that we don't want to see. But the other side of the coin, especially on social networks, is that people tend to lack audacity and all do the same thing: they want to look like the Kardashians , etc. »
8. Inspirations and influences
When asked about her influences, her favorite costume designers or creators, Liza Bracey mentions in particular the work of costume designer Natalie Ward, with whom she was able to work on several films. And imagine that her passion is communicative: I actually re-watched the film she mentions below precisely to carefully observe the work on indigo she talks about. However, attention to detail is not the only thing she appreciates in others and in her job.
“I really like the work of costume designer Alexandra Byrne. I'm always blown away when I watch a film she worked on. I also like what Jane Petrie, a friend of mine, does. I once loved the costumes in a film and was surprised to discover its name at the end of the credits. I also like the work of Natalie Ward, another friend whom I was able to assist in her work. Every time I'm doing a project and feeling a little stuck, I wonder what Natalie could do. These are three very inspiring costume designers. »
“For example, I invite you to take a look at the work of Alexandra Byrne in “ Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots ”. The costumes are sublime. It is a 2018 film set in the late 16th century. Alexandra used a lot of denim for the costumes, which is very unusual but it works particularly well.
There is notably a scene where the main character is on horseback in the rain during a battle. In the next sequence, we see her taking off her dress and we can see the blue dye that has leached through the clothes she is wearing underneath. It's magnificent, very beautiful, very intelligent. And then of course, among the people I admire, there is Edith Head, if we go back in time. I love the clothes she has been able to make since I was a child. »
“When it comes to fashion, I obviously love Vivienne Westwood. She was new and unknown in this environment. She didn't have any training. She just moved on. Her partner Malcom would buy lots of striped shirts which she would paint on. He could buy all kinds of dead stock and she always found a way to make something completely different with it... And sell it!
I also like Margiela , even now, Marni and even Dries Van Noten. I like colors and simple ideas, in general. In fact, the interesting thing about fashion is that it works in a cyclical way . With each new cycle, we add something: we refine, we update or we personalize. It's good for creativity.
When I was younger, I had my favorite periods in terms of fashion. But I discovered so many things over time, over very different periods from each other, that my favorite period simply became the next one on which I would have to work. »
