Paradise Garage, Let It Rock, Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die, SEX, Seditionaries, Worlds End

Vivienne Westwood Let It Rock, Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die, SEX, Seditionaries, Worlds End
Seditionaries store 430 King's Road in London Chelsea district
Seditionaries store 430 King’s Road in London Chelsea district

A Brief History of Seditionaries Clothing
There’s a lot of history at 430 King’s Road in London’s Chelsea district.  ‘Seditionaries’ t-shirts are just a few of the many designs that originated from the various incarnations of the address in the 1970s.

Paradise Garage

In 1971 the King’s Road location was known as Paradise Garage and future Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and partner Patrick Casey manned a little rock memorabilia stand located in the back of the store.

 

Let it Rock

In 1971, when the owners of Paradise got evicted McLaren and Casey took over the entire venue and named it Let it Rock expanding their inventory with clothing that was designed by McLaren’s school teacher girlfriend Vivienne Westwood.

 

Too Fast To Live, To Young to Die

In 1972 the shop was re-named Too Fast To Live, To Young to Die and focused on early 1960s rock culture and fashion. This incarnation’s moniker was self-fulfilling prophecy – not even two years later it was no longer living. McLaren and Westwood decided to close up shop because of thievery and threats from the infamous Teddy Boy gang.

 

SEX

In 1974 the shop was gutted, renovated and re-opened under the name SEX. The store specialized in fetish and bondage gear as well as numerous t-shirt designs that caused an uproar by depicting taboo imagery, e.g., gay cowboys, swastikas, a naked boy, etc.

 

Seditionaries

In 1975 McLaren began to manage a band called The Strand that would become the Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten actually auditioned for the band in the store.  In 1976, the shop was once again re-named to Seditionaries and the inventory reflected the surging popularity of the Sex Pistols who were decked out in designer Seds duds from the get-go. And with Sid Vicious reportedly banking hours as an employee, shoplifting was most likely at an all time low.

Malcolm also sold Seditionaries t-shirts through ads in the Melody Maker.

McLaren and Westwood’s relationship eventually deteriorated, they split and closed the Seditionaries store in September of 1980.

 

World’s End

In 1981 the venue underwent its final make-over and began operating as World’s End

The location is still in operation and, amazingly, the name has survived two decades and appears to have stuck. The once mom and pop operation is now in the hands of their son, Joe Corre.

To see the Seditionaries shop as it was in the 1970s, watch the documentary film ‘Punk Rock Movie’.  This landmark film shot by Don Letts in 1977-1978 provides an amazing glimpse into the London punk rock scene.  In the film, there is a brief tour of the inside of the Seditionaries store with Vivienne Westwood and team working behind the counter and a view of the clothes that were sold there at the time.

 

Sources and related links:
https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/21204/1/malcolm-mclaren-let-it-rock
http://punkflyer.com/seditionarieshistory.html
https://fashionelite.com/profile/vivienne-westwood/

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