Cool in Your Code

Manic Panic

You might think the punk rock phase has died out and that Day-Glo colored hairdos only exist in 1980’s teen movies. Luckily, nothing could be further from the truth. In 1977 native New Yorkers Tish and Snooky Bellomo opened America’s first Punk Rock boutique on St. Mark’s Place. These sisters, singers in the original Blondie line up, have been bringing the punk look and lifestyle to the masses for over 25 years with their hair color brand Manic Panic. Their celebrity clientele include Cyndi Lauper, Rancid, Aerosmith, Green Day, Dennis Rodman and designer Todd Oldham, just to name a few. The small store front on St. Mark’s Place is long gone. “We’re so big now we had to move into a huge warehouse in Long Island City,” exclaims Tish. “Who’d a thunk it?” says Snooky. This dynamic duo is famous for making bold fashion statements, especially on stage. “People were always imitating us” says Tish. Once for a show, the girls created dresses out of pillow cases. Their fans wanted to know where they could buy such funky duds. “So we grabbed some of our designs from our closet and opened up this shop.” Their mom coined the name “MANIC PANIC” and the rest is history. What’s not history is their performing. They can still be seen on stage and their costume closet takes up much of their warehouse. “Everything we sell, we wear!”

www.manicpanic.com

21-07 Borden Avenue, 11101

Filed under: dress code, 11101, boutique, costumes, fashion, Hair color, LIC, long island city, punk, queens