The Enduring Style of an Underground ’80s TV Show

“Hi, and welcome to ‘TV Party,’ the TV show that’s a party — but which could be a political party!” Glenn O’Brien, the late writer and social fixture of downtown New York City, launched the maiden episode of “TV Party,” the cult public-access variety show, with this line in 1978. “TV Party” was, in fact, a party: a dynamic social atmosphere hosted by O’Brien and frequented by a hodgepodge of downtown artists and performers. The show was peculiar and raw, once described by O’Brien as “sub-realism,” in reference to its unfiltered, anarchic flow. Episodes were directed by the underground filmmaker Amos Poe in a small Manhattan studio using cheap rental equipment, but the guests were well known — or soon would be. The musicians Iggy Pop, George Clinton and Debbie Harry, as well as the artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Chris Burden all made appearances, starring in improvised performances, mumbled interviews and a call-in segment consisting mostly of stray insults, scattered fan support and the recurring question, “What is this all about?”

Running until 1982, “TV Party” was a show for and by the No Wave generation, and it remains a unique document of the whirlwind creativity of late ’70s and early ’80s New York. It is also a continuing source of fashion inspiration. O’Brien would later extend his sartorial gifts as a contributor at GQ and a creative director for Barneys, but his style guru credentials were already full-fledged in “TV Party.” Here, in archival images provided by Bobby Grossman, the official photographer of “TV Party,” O’Brien is pictured along with Basquiat and a host of No Wave musicians in outfits that look just as original today. We selected contemporary pieces from the recent runways inspired by the cast and crew’s enduring style — because, as O’Brien once said, “Fashion is what everyone is doing. Style is what you are doing.”

The Classic Leather Jacket

For his first appearance on “TV Party” in April 1979, Jean-Michel Basquiat, then 19 years old, wore a faded service-station work shirt and his hair shaved to a distinctive point. Basquiat became a regular guest and participant on the show, occasionally taking over the backstage keyboard to type sporadic phrases of analog text that would appear on screen. In this episode, O’Brien aired his punk sensibilities with a timeless black leather Schott moto jacket, which he invited the artist to decorate during the show; Basquiat painted an outline of a crown across the back of the jacket, which remained one of O’Brien’s prized possessions.

The No-Wave Sunglasses

O’Brien wasn’t the only regular cast member with flawlessly offbeat style. The violinist Walter Steading, pictured above, led the live orchestra that played during “TV Party” broadcasts. Here, he wears a striking pair of slim rectangular shades while “TV Party” drummer Lenny Ferrari looms phantomlike in the background. The pioneering rapper Fab 5 Freddy was also on the show’s crew, as a camera man, and made frequent guest appearances. Later, he worked with Ferrari to lay down some of the first recorded hip-hop beats.

The Check Blazer

Pictured in 1980, a smiling Basquiat sits with O’Brien, who wears a patterned madras sport coat. The elegantly playful contrast of his clean tailoring with the single daisy pinned to his lapel was perfectly appropriate for the “TV Party” ringleader.

The Workwear Jumpsuit

An earnest O’Brien, captured in a rare moment without sunglasses, sports a characteristically eclectic get-up of a workwear jumpsuit and noirish fedora. Mixing tried-and-true personas of the male wardrobe, with D.I.Y. flair, was an O’Brien signature.

Sneakers — With a Suit

The No Wave musician James Chance and his girlfriend Anya Phillips, the co-founder of the legendary Mudd Club, chat with O’Brien during a show segment. Accessorizing O’Brien’s nonchalantly styled suit are a pair of chunky athletic socks and classic sneakers. The seeming effortlessness of O’Brien’s “TV Party” wardrobe — which ranged freely from formal to casual, everyday to outré — was the work of a true original.

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