Fashion Inspired by The Runaways

I've been a fan of the band The Runaways for a while. For anyone who doesn't know, The Runaways were the first all-girl rock band that played together from 1975 to 1979. The band was comprised of Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West and Jackie Fox, and all were around 15 or 16 years old when they first formed. Despite being marketed by their manager as "Jailbait Rock," the girls took their music seriously and spawned a few hits such as "Cherry Bomb" and "Queens of Noise."

Their meteoric rise to fame and swiftly following dissolution makes for perfect movie material. A little over a year ago, I was thrilled to find out that Floria Sigismondi (who has directed music videos for Interpol, The White Stripes, David Bowie, The Cure and others) would be making a biopic about The Runaways, focusing on how it jump-started rock legend Joan Jett's career and resulted in the breakdown of frontwoman Cherie Currie. The movie stars a surprisingly expressive Kristen Stewart as Joan and a grown-up Dakota Fanning as Cherie.

My favorite decade in fashion is the 70s. Rock and roll was taking the world by storm and had a definite role in the trends of the day. The movie did a lovely job of capturing the styles of Joan and Cherie. I was truly impressed.

Joan Jett

Joan Jett is the epitome of a rock star. Black is her trademark color and leather is her favorite material. Joan was and still is the perfect fashion icon for the hardcore rocker. I think the movie does a great job of illustrating the extent to which rock 'n' roll was essentially the driving force of Joan's life and the biggest component of her image.

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Cherie Currie

During her short career with The Runaways, Cherie was all about glamor and sex appeal. She was notable for performing in lingerie. The young teenager carried herself with a surprising Lolita-like sexual precociousness and that was expressed through her style. The movie also was fantastic about showing how the young outcast used her sexuality as a source of confidence and power.

Since we aren't all 70s-era rock stars, I've toned down the ladies' looks considerably with these sets, but I believe I've kept true to the heart of the style. This way, you can pay tribute to two of rock's most important women without looking too out of place.

Runaways Inspired by Ashley Chupp featuring Converse shoes

And now I leave you with a video of The Runaways performing their hit "Cherry Bomb," and a trailer for the movie. Warning to those who have an aversion to hard rock.