{"id":20463,"date":"2013-05-06T16:50:35","date_gmt":"2013-05-06T20:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=20463"},"modified":"2014-05-05T17:44:06","modified_gmt":"2014-05-05T21:44:06","slug":"what-wendy-would-have-worn-to-the-met-gala-w-o-w-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/what-wendy-would-have-worn-to-the-met-gala-w-o-w-style\/","title":{"rendered":"What Wendy Would Have Worn to the Met Gala: W.O.W. Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year, my invitation to the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art gets lost in the mail. It’s such a shame, because I would wear a real costume to match the party theme, instead of one of the generically pretty designer dresses that so many guests fall back on. Remember the superhero-themed gala in 2008<\/a>? Everyone wore strapless. How the fuck was that superhero-worthy?<\/p>\n

This year’s exhibit is “Punk: Chaos to Couture.” I’ve been fascinated by punk since it emerged in the late ’70s (though I’m just a poseur myself) and it has never lost its appeal for me. You can see punk’s impact all over my WENDYB by Wendy Brandes jewelry line<\/a>, with its\u00a0\u00c9pater-la-bourgeoisie<\/em><\/a>-style “Screw You<\/a>” and IDGAF<\/a> message jewelry.<\/p>\n

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In 1983, I tore out this comic strip of Prince Charles having a punk moment on a bus. Click to enlarge.<\/p><\/div>\n

Meanwhile, the New York Times<\/a> reports that the invitees are bewildered. “No one has a clue,” said my old friend Cameron Silver, whose Los Angeles-based vintage store Decades has provided me with all kinds of interesting clothes over the years. “We keep running into the same problem, which is that rich women don\u2019t want to look punk, or grunge,” Cameron told the Times. “Not that many women want to look like Nancy Spungen<\/a>.” Revered New York Times fashion reporter Cathy Horyn<\/a> couldn’t even come up with any punk-worthy jewelry (and, yes, I tweeted, emailed and called her with all of my offerings<\/a>, to no avail. I’m sad that she’s missing out).<\/p>\n

I know exactly what I would wear. A few people have guessed Adam Ant, but I wouldn’t repeat an outfit for a big event like this.\u00a0 I was, however, thrilled to read that the few real punk t-shirts the Met has on display are from his collection. Love you, Adam!<\/p>\n

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My Adam Ant look. Click for original post.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nope, my Met Gala inspiration would be punk goddess Wendy O. Williams<\/a> (initials spell W.O.W. for good reason!) from the Plasmatics. Wendy’s signature looks included a mohawk and nipple tape.<\/p>\n

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Click for photo source and more pictures.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sometimes she opted for nipple weaponry instead.<\/p>\n

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Pointy!<\/p><\/div>\n

A lot of recent pop stars have been inspired by Wendy O.’s nipple swag. Pink<\/a>, Rihanna<\/a> and Lady Gaga<\/a> have all done nipple tape or a tape look. I happily bought a nipple-tape concert t-shirt at one of Gaga’s shows in 2010.<\/p>\n

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Click for another pic.<\/p><\/div>\n

Beyonce’s sequin-nipple bodysuit by The Blonds<\/a> is a clever take on the concept: covering nipples with more nipples! And nipple weaponry is still a thing: Gaga shoots flames out of her breasts<\/a>, while Katy Perry prefers whipped cream<\/a>. But has any one of these ladies given us hot nipple fashion while blowing up cars onstage or taking a chainsaw to a guitar<\/a>? I think not! There are some great Plasmatics performance clips complete with chainsaw<\/a> online, but if exploding school buses smashing through walls of television sets are more your style, don’t miss the 1982 video for the Plasmatics’ song, “The Damned.”<\/p>\n