For the past few years, icons like Gwen Stefani and Puff Daddy have dominated the runways with their street-inspired clothing lines, coaxing peers like Jennifer Lopez and Justin Timberlake into following suit. But the real story is the number of pop-punk bands now hitching their star to a fashion label. Here we highlight some punk and hardcore rockers whose music is just as innovative as their fashion sense.
Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) — Pete Wentz’s
Clandestine Industries is one of the best-known clothing labels in the punk subculture. Although the line started selling T-shirts and hoodies, these days it seems to be rivaling American Apparel by stocking everything from dresses to necklaces—and the company’s logo (which you
may remember inked above Wentz’s privates from some leaked Internet pictures a few years back) has become almost as recognizable as
Fall Out Boy’s music. If you’re in Chicago, make sure to check out the flagship store, which also features a salon and The Batheart Bar, a place where Clandestine fans can design their own one-of-a-kind merchandise.
Rusty Pistachio; Toby Morse (H20) — Rusty Pistachio may be most recognizable for strumming guitar for New York hardcore institution
H20—who just dropped their latest full-length
Nothing to Prove—but in the past few years he’s gotten even more notoriety for
Pnut Jewelry, his high-end line of handmade metals. With everything from rings to bracelets to necklaces, there’s something for everyone and we don’t just mean females. If you don’t believe us, check out his charms, which range from cats and hearts to grenades and M-16 bullets—then go to his site to see photos of the Used, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Good Charlotte all sporting his innovative designs. Oh, and not to be undone, H20 vocalist Toby Morse has his own T-shirt line,
Straight Edge OG. But getting back to those wacky Madden Brothers …
Joel and Benji Madden; Billy Martin (Good Charlotte) —
Good Charlotte’s resident twin brothers Joel and Benji Madden seem to be lightning rods for controversy, which coincidentally is often also the best way to sell a product. (Just ask Benji’s girlfriend, Paris Hilton.) The two brothers originally launched Made Clothing in 2005 and changed the name to
DCMA Collective a short while later. Right now the line features a huge selection of shirts, belt buckles, hoodies, and jewelry (many of which are variations of brass knuckles) and there are rumors that the company—which opened a physical store in Los Angeles earlier this year—could evolve into a vanity record label as well. Additionally, GC guitarist Billy Martin has his own line
Level 27, which allows him to express his obsession with Tim Burton-esque artwork via shirts, tank tops, and “Zombie Head” belt buckles.
Travis Barker (+44) — Former Blink-182 and current
+44 drummer Travis Barker started his clothing and accessory line
Famous Stars And Straps back in 1999 and over the past decade it has probably made him more cash than most artists will ever achieve via royalties. Although he was early on the apparel craze, Barker is no slacker and in recent years the company has introduced a women’s line as well as a string of accessories including skateboard decks. The company’s biggest release seems to be forthcoming; according to rumors, FSAS are reportedly planning on constructing a limited-edition BMX Bike to celebrate the company’s tenth anniversary.
Chuck Comeau and Pierre Bouvier (Simple Plan) — Most rockers claim they don’t want to be role models, but
Simple Plan’s Chuck Comeau and Pierre Bouvier embrace the title. Their clothing line
Role Model (which they run with their pal Patrick Langlois) can outfit a burgeoning punk rocker for an entire year with shorts, polos, belts, and backpacks. The band maximizes marketing potential by wearing Role Model gear in nearly every photo shoot, sponsoring their friends’ bands, and offering exclusive opportunities to win VIP tickets for Simple Plan shows through the company’s Web site. Especially cool are the label’s run of shirts with legendary graffiti icon Zilon―signed, numbered, and made in extremely limited quantities.