A visual history of counterculture music T-shirts, spanning the defining era of indie music. Ripped is the first book to document the shirts of the post-punk and indie period, after the submission of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll to mass popularity and before the onset of ironic consumerism. Carefully selected from the archives of vintage fashion collector Cesar Padilla, the 200 T-shirts in this book are classic examples of rare and extremely limited shirts created by and for the very bands who embodied the true essence of the DIY and indie movements—from The Ramones to Sonic Youth, John Cale, Talking Heads, Madonna, X, Pil, The Germs, and many others. Each shirt has been photographed in all its gritty, sweat-stained glory just as it was found—on the street, in a thrift store, or inherited from a friend. Introduced by Lydia Lunch, the book includes recollections and ruminations from musicians, fashion designers, and pop culture personalities on the enigmatic and enduring appeal of the rock band T-shirt.
A visual history of counterculture music t-shirts, spanning indie music from the late 1970s through to the mid-1990s. With 180 colour photos.
“Ripped is a narrative historu of the punk movement told through photographs of concert T’s culled from Padilla’s copious T-shirt collection.” ~Interview Magazine
"Punk Movement: Cesar Padilla, owner of NYC's Cherry vintage shop, has compiled more than 200 T-shirts distressed and destroyed by some of the biggest names in punk (Sex Pistols, Sonic Youth) for his new book, Ripped: T-shirts From the Underground. And the fixation with iconic rocker tees continues..." ~Elle
"... a visual history of the appeal of the rock-band T-shirt." ~Harper's Bazaar
"In Ripped: T-Shirts from the Underground, Padilla captures more than 200 tees made by (or in homage to) post-punk artists and musicians of the '70s and '80s from his collection. The shirts -- which are shown in all their sweat-stained glory -- chronicle a musical movement that hinged on the DIY." ~Los Angeles Times