Sex (boutique)

SEX
Company type	Boutique
Industry	Fashion retail
Founded	1974
Founder	Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren
Defunct	1976
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Products	Apparel, fetish and bondage clothing, punk fashion items

Sex (presented as SEX) was a boutique managed by Vivienne Westwood and her partner at the time, Malcolm McLaren, located at 430 King's Road, London from 1974 until 1976. The store specialized in apparel that came to define the visual identity of the punk movement.

Throughout the 1970s, Westwood and McLaren's shop experienced multiple changes in both its name and interior design, reflecting shifting creative influences. In 1979, it was renamed World's End, a title it continues to hold after a brief period of closure.

Before SEX

Prior to becoming SEX, 430 King's Road in London's Chelsea neighborhood was home to various fashion outlets, including The 430 Boutique during the early 1960s; Hung On You from 1967 to 1969; Mr Freedom between 1969 and 1970; and Paradise Garage from 1970 to 1971.

In October 1971, Malcolm McLaren along with his art school colleague Patrick Casey launched a stall inside Paradise Garage, offering McLaren’s collection of 1950s rock & roll records, magazines, clothing, and memorabilia. The following month, they assumed control over the entire shop.

Renamed Let It Rock, the boutique featured second-hand and new Teddy Boy style garments designed by Vivienne Westwood. Its exterior was marked by black corrugated iron with pink signage; inside, the décor echoed the 1950s with "Odeon" wallpaper and Festival of Britain souvenirs. The label gained recognition for sharply tailored drape jackets, tight-fitting trousers, and thick-soled "brothel creepers" footwear. Let It Rock soon attracted media attention including coverage in the London Evening Standard.

By 1973, the store had been renamed Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die, embracing early 1960s British "rocker" fashion. The product range grew to incorporate chains, leather garments, and daring sleeveless T-shirts influenced by Westwood’s politically charged designs. The signage featured white letters on black surrounding a prominent skull and crossbones motif, signaling a new wave of youth culture.

SEX

In spring 1974, the boutique underwent renovation and was rebranded as SEX. The storefront displayed a prominent four-foot pink foam rubber sign spelling out "SEX", while inside, walls were adorned with graffiti inspired by the SCUM Manifesto alongside chicken wire, rubber curtains, and red carpet flooring.

The SEX shop retailed fetish and bondage clothing from specialist brands such as Atomage, She-And-Me, and London Leatherman alongside original creations by McLaren and Westwood. Pamela Rooke (known as Jordan) served as a sales assistant. Among its clientele were founding members of the Sex Pistols—bass guitarist Glen Matlock worked part-time on Saturdays—and influential figures like Chrissie Hynde, Adam Ant, Marco Pirroni, Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, and members of the Bromley Contingent. McLaren partially chose the band's name to boost publicity for the store. In August 1975, John Lydon auditioned for the group there.

The boutique’s offerings boldly confronted social and sexual conventions through provocative T-shirts featuring imagery such as the hood worn by the Cambridge Rapist’s face; semi-nude cowboys created by American artist Jim French; trompe-l'œil depictions of bare breasts by Janusz and Laura Gottwald; and explicit texts from Alexander Trocchi's School for Wives. Slogans included 'Prick Up Your Ears', referencing Joe Orton’s biography. Additional items included jeans with transparent plastic pockets, zippered tops, and the iconic Anarchy shirt crafted from surplus Wemblex fabric from the 1960s. These shirts were customized through bleaching and dyeing processes and embellished with silk patches featuring Karl Marx alongside anarchist slogans.

Seditionaries

In December 1976, the premises at 430 King's Road adopted the name Seditionaries, operating under this brand until September 1980. Known as Seditionaries: Clothes for Heroes, the store was characterized by a brutalist interior design, featuring expansive murals depicting bomb damage, vivid illumination, and ceiling recesses crafted by McLaren. This setting displayed Westwood's groundbreaking fashion pieces that have since become emblematic of punk style.

Westwood granted design licenses to those managing the boutique at 153 King's Road, known as Boy (previously called Acme Attractions), who distributed these garments—sometimes with modifications—over an eight-year span. The label Boy London was established in 1976 on King's Road by Stephane Raynor alongside Israeli entrepreneur John Krivine, who later divested from the company in 1984.

World's End

Towards the end of 1980, the location at 430 King's Road was relaunched as World's End. Conceived by McLaren and Westwood and brought to life by Roger Burton with assistance from Jeremy Blackburn and Tony Devers, the building incorporated features reminiscent of both the Olde Curiosity Shoppe and an 18th-century sailing ship. Its exterior boasted a prominent clock spinning backwards and a slanted floor. Early in 1981, McLaren and Westwood unveiled their inaugural collection through this venue, continuing their collaboration for an additional three years. Today, World's End remains an integral part of Vivienne Westwood’s international fashion brand.

External links

Only Anarchists Are Pretty (archive.org)
Seditionaries Clothing designed by Vivienne Westwood & Malcolm McLaren c. 1976–1979 (archive.org)
Punk Pirate 1981 clothing line by Westwood and McLaren (archive.org)
Punk Pistol Seditionaries tribute site to clothing designed by Westwood & McLaren (archive.org)

Sex (boutique)

Before SEX

SEX

Seditionaries

World's End

Further reading

See also

External links