A rare and iconic piece of British punk fashion history, a Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren SEX boutique ‘Parachute’ shirt from 1977, has sold for an impressive £4,375 (including fees; £3,500 hammer) at Anderson & Garland Auctioneers during their 29th January Modern Art & Design Auction.
This striking indigo-blue cotton shirt, featuring straps, buckles, and a distinctive ‘hoover’ ring suspended at the chest, boasts petrol-blue lower sleeves and a khaki cuff on the right wrist. It also carries multiple original labels, including the ‘Seditionaries Exclusive Collection’ and the legendary ‘SEX’ boutique label, cementing its place in punk fashion history. The shirt, sized at 36 with a 42-inch chest, represents a rare surviving artefact from the height of the 1970s punk movement.
Enthusiast
The vendor, deeply immersed in the punk scene during his adolescence, originally acquired the piece in the late 1970s/early 1980s from a close friend who had outgrown the look. The friend had been fortunate enough to visit London’s groundbreaking fashion boutiques, including Westwood and McLaren’s SEX and BOY, founded by Stephane Raynor and John Krivine. Upon losing interest in the garments, they were gifted to the vendor, who remained a dedicated punk enthusiast.
Accompanying the lot was a 1970s photograph of the vendor wearing the shirt.
