Fashion Meets Film: The Warriors
“Can You Diggggggggggggg It?!!”
Yes, we’ve been diggin it! One of the most popular, bad ass movies of all time, 1979’s The Warriors, has become a lexicon of most-quoted lines in our collective cultural consciousness, especially when it comes to street culture. Everyone from Diddy to The Diplomats, to most recently Lady Sovereign, has paid homage to the cult classic and reinterpreted the infamous “Warriors, come out to playyyyyy” line along the way! More than just a cult favorite, the film is an urban fable that still speaks to the street code of honor, individuality, and making a name for yourself and your steeze!
Because the movie follows several groups of different gangs battling for supremacy in NYC in the 70s, the costuming was a well-thought out process. Costume designers Bobbie Mannix and Mary Ellen Winston pulled from the late ’70s fashionscape to conceptualize some amazing fits for the gangs, most specifically reflecting the grittiness of the NYC Punk and Disco scenes. Gangs were decked out in more than just their colors– their fits ranged from “The Punks” denim overalls, rugbys, and rollerskates; to the face-painted, baseball shortstop inspired “The Furies”. Of course, most official was the punk-inspired leather vest, bare-chest, and Converse look of the film’s heroes, “The Warriors!”
The movie also gives special props to the ladies, specifically those who kick butt! Mega-popular female gang “The Lizzies” are a throwback to the Ancient Greek myth of the sirens who were said to lure men in with their sexual charm (and in this case, bad-ass party attitudes) and then attack!
A crew of grungy chicks ready to go wild on their enemies, “The Lizzies” donned flannels, beat-up jeans, hoodies, Ts, kicks, with frizzy hair and knives to boot. Looking suspiciously like a collective of chicks from Dov Charney’s latest American Apparel ads, these ladies were so cool it’s no suprise they hooked the Warriors in with their game! Check out their moment of shining glory in the clip below—”Shit! The chicks are packed! The chicks are packed!”
The Warriors’ legacy lives on, fashion and otherwise! Most of the ‘fits are ones that can be rocked today. We definitely don’t condone violence here at M.I.S.S but the idea of gangs being a stylisically united family is one that’s definitely made its mark on the evolution of streetwear.
Peep Lady Sovereign’s recent music video “Got You Dancin’,” to see a modern take on Warriors threads.
Lady Sovereign – I Got You Dancing – Official Video from SANADA FILMS on Vimeo.
