Anaheim-based designer Lizz Zuñiga has been creating original punk clothing for women since before high school. A self-taught seamstress who began sewing for herself, then slowly making custom pieces for friends, in 2010, Zuñiga launched Audey Thunders Clothing, named for her son Audey and late New York Dolls musician Johnny Thunders.
For Zuñiga, making her clothes is a form of resistance against corporate chains at Met Galas that seek to appropriate and profit off marginal culture, “You see more people with tattoos everywhere, piercings and pink hair, but [punk itself] still isn’t accepted,” she says.
Zuñiga is Available via Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/AudeyThunders), the line’s garments are reconstructed from band shirts and recycled fabrics, as well as indigenous prints that reflect Zuñiga’s Xicana identity. The dresses, pants, skirts, purses, fanny packs, baby onesies, hoodies and harnesses are each adorned with patches for bands such as Eskorbuto, Los Crudos, Crass, GG Allin, Joy Division. By repurposing used clothes, Zuñiga stays true to her eco-conscious and humanist values. “I hate shopping anywhere because everything’s made in another country where they don’t have the same labor laws and work long hours with no rights,” the 26-year-old says. “I’m always thinking about that stuff.”
Although punk looks are all the rage again, Zuñiga says, it’s hard to find places to showcase her products to interested buyers, feeling out-of-place at family-oriented art walks and marketplaces. Despite that, the designer stays committed to her craft and is optimistic about finding a storefront. “A lot of people aren’t into the stuff I make; it’s not mainstream,” says Zuñiga, who also shares her works on Instagram (@audeythunders). “It’d be really cool if I had my own space to sell my stuff, to be able to get it to the right people.”
