The renowned ‘fashion rebel’ defined the aesthetic of punk in the ’70’s. Now he’s aiming to disrupt fast fashion with his new venture, Bad Phrmacy
“I like the risks, the danger, a car crash life,” Stephane Raynor writes in an email to Document Journal. A self-proclaimed ‘fashion rebel,’ Raynor founded his first store, Acme Attractions, in ’74. Located on Kings Road in London, it rapidly transformed from a space selling merch to a hub of London (sub)culture. By the mid ’70s, it had become a local watering hole for musicians and scenesters, attracting the likes of Patti Smith, Deborah Harry, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and Bob Marley. In the years since, Raynor launched his own label, BOY LONDON; the store, located on the famous King’s Road, became the epicenter of London’s punk scene. His pieces have since been worn by everyone from Andy Warhol and Sid Vicious to Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar, and would come to define the aesthetic and ethos of punk for many years to come.
Raynor is now bringing his rebellious sensibility to the world of vintage and secondhand goods. “The name Bad Phrmacy came to me in a dream, but my love of vintage comes from within. Before it was called vintage, it was just ‘old stuff’—but to me, it is art, unearthed treasure,” he tells Document. In this fashion portfolio, photographer Scarlett Casciello captures the ethos of Raynor’s new enterprise: a shop that stocks eclectic vintage clothing, as well as handmade pieces from young sustainable artists. “I have recreated myself as an eco warrior,” he remarks. “It’s a far stretch from my punk beginnings, but still political. By providing a source of elegant design through pre-loved vintage at affordable prices, I aim to destroy all providers of fast fashion, the number two pollutant on our planet.”