| Rock
princesses punk it up By Anna Cock in New York September 16, 2004  AUSTRALIA can claim another fashion luminary after designer Nick Morley debuted the first full collection of his Buddhist Punk label at New York's fashion week yesterday, sending three rock 'n' roll princesses down the runway in his funky threads.
Mick Jagger's daughter Elizabeth, 20, and Keith Richards' stunning progeny Theodora, 19, and Alexandra, 18, carried the shows theme – "sex, piracy and recalcitrance" – before a rock-star crowd that included Steve Tyler and Boy George. Richards' wife, proud mother and former model Patti Hansen, was also on hand to see her teenage girls parading the label, which has grown over several years from distressed T-shirts to the array of silver-trimmed mini dresses, strappy leather skirts, skimpy swimsuits studs and sparkles, which was on show yesterday. The men's collection featured chains galore, three-quarter-length pants with Pure Buddhist Punk and symbols of skulls printed on the seat – clobber designed to team with tattoos and plenty of attitude. Originally from the Melbourne suburb of Mt Eliza, Morley, 36, is a true citizen of the world, and extremely well-connected. He calls Bali home, but his label is based in the United Kingdom and he lived in New York for several years, which is why he chose the Big Apple to debut the collection. "It's rock 'n' roll, beach and dance floor," he said of his inspiration. He has designed clothes for The Rolling Stones, U2 and celebrities such as Britney Spears, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt after switching to fashion from a background as a hair and makeup artist. With friends such as The Divinyls' Chrissie Amphlett and
The Cures' [sic] Ian Astbury,
Morley was able to call on the two to perform at yesterday's show, held
at the Maritime Hotels' Hiro Room in Manhattan's Chelsea district. |
