Acme BOY

It’s 50 years since the ‘street couture’ shop Acme Attractions opened - and November 1975 sees the 50th anniversary of the first SEX PISTOLS gig. Which makes it perfect timing for Phil Strongman''s Acme BOY - the stunning inside story of Acme, BOY, PUNK and ‘anti-fashion’; the London youth culture explosions of the 1970s and ‘80s - eruptions that ending up having global influence.

 By turns amusing, intriguing and shocking, Acme BOY features not only the author''s own story - and his involvement with the Pistols, The Clash, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood - but also contains exclusive words from Acme Attractions founder John Krivine and BOY co-founder Steph Raynor. These two men had shops crammed with classic jukeboxes and staffed by film-maker and Radio 6 DJ Don Letts, Rough Trade boss Jeannette Lee, DJ Jay Strongman (relation) and stylist Eric Rose. Their customers included John Lydon, Sid Vicious, Bob Marley, Andy Warhol, Rudolf Nureyev, Peter O’Toole, Rod Stewart, Daryl Hall, Boy George, Joe Strummer, Chrissie Hynde, Billy idol, Patti Smith, Deborah Harry, Philip Sallon, Steve Strange and Adam Ant… And BOY clothing, now labelled BOY LONDON, continues to be worn by 21st century stars like Rihanna, Madonna, Cara Delevingne and Jessie J - yet the untold story of the brand’s tangled roots are both revealing and fascinating.

Back in 1975 and 1976 King’s Road proto-punk was initially dubbed The Big Sleaze by fashion mags before it rapidly became notorious as Punk, the shattering scene that shocked the UK, caused riots in Chelsea, raised questions in Parliament and basically invented the Indie genre; inspiring film-makers such as Quentin Tarantino and musicians REM, Nirvana, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Green Day and many others in the US, Europe, Japan, Korea and worldwide.

Post-Punk, Mod, New Romanticism, Two-Tone, Goth, Rockabilly, the Warehouse scene all followed in swift succession - writer and film-maker Strongman saw these movements develop and was deeply involved in many of them. He is unique in being the only person to have designed for Acme Attractions and BOY and Fans - whilst later managing bands, taking photos and supplying clothes to Sign of The Times, Ad Hoc, BOY and Vivienne Westwood. His designs have been worn by Anita Pallenberg, Roger Daltrey, Billy Connelly and Pamela Stephenson as well as hundreds of Punk, New Wave and Indie musicians.

With its gripping text and an array of rare and unseen photos, images and illustrations, Acme BOY is one of the most important, and personal, contemporary books to explore London fashion in general and the ‘70s Punk era in particular.