Punk Anna Wintour: An Introduction

Photo credit: Marliz - A "How to Look Punk" guide from 1977

"Trends in culture all serve a purpose and that's always indicative in fashion and music; you can always tell what's going on culturally in the mindset of the young generation if you look at those mediums." - Marina and the Diamonds

Hello! Welcome to "Punk Anna Wintour": a platform to dissect the intersection of music and fashion in popular culture. My name is Paulina Subia, and as a self-professed pop culture addict, I have decided to dedicate this blog to exploring where music and fashion coincide to shape our everyday lives.

I grew up with pop culture-oriented parents. They were (and still are) big on going to live concerts, attending fashion shows in New York City, and raising my brother and I to have eclectic tastes in both the music we listened to and the clothes we wore. My parents used to play me recordings of fashion shows to fall asleep; some of my earliest memories are of going to concerts with my parents, having no business being the youngest person in the crowd but still having the time of my life (for an adolescent, that is).

Needless to say, my parents fostered in me a deep affinity for culture, and my love for the arts has only grown over time. Music has absolutely taken over my life - for the better, that is. I am now a music journalist, and plan on writing about music for the rest of my life. To me, there is no greater feeling than listening to a song you love, than seeing a band you adore for the first time. Music has the ability to evoke an ever-changing world of emotions that simply cannot be replicated by any other artistic medium. My favorite artists, albums, and songs have carried me through the last twenty years of my life; in fact, I often tell people that I can define each year of my life by a certain artist.

As music has obviously had a profound impact on me, I credit the art form for helping me cultivate an entire lifestyle. When I think of music, I think of not only the songs, but the aesthetics behind the art: the album covers, the music videos, the tour visuals, and of course, the clothing. (If you're into astrology: the planet Venus in my birth chart is in Taurus - a sign that is ruled by Venus; as Venus rules aesthetics and beauty, I love nothing more than something that is visually appealing.) To me, a true musician has a "look": whether that be a carefully-cultivated style of dress, or a collection of simple, yet consistent fashion choices. As music has the power to transport the listener to a world of their own, why not have the artist bring that world into reality through their aesthetic?

Thus, the concept behind "Punk Anna Wintour" is born: as music and fashion come together as definitive staples within our popular culture, I would like to dive into how these two art forms work together (as well as in their respective domains) to have a withstanding influence on an individual's personality, as well as on society at large. How do fanbases model their own aesthetics off of a certain artist? How have subcultures made their way into mainstream fashion? Where do fast fashion companies and record labels, respectively, fit into this discourse?

With each blog post, I intend to focus on the following three archetypes: the "artist," the "fan," and the "muse." I believe that these three figures keep both the music and fashion worlds relevant in mainstream culture, responsible for the cycling of trends and the subsequent influence such trends have on the masses. With this, I will be able to fully analyze how these archetypes work together and separately to result in both positive and negative impacts on popular culture.

Thank you for indulging my ramblings on art & aesthetic; while I am by no means an expert on music or fashion, I am by all means an analyst. Enjoy!