Drew Bernstein (1963 – August 18, 2014) was an American

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

goth Goth or Goths may refer to: * Goths, a Germanic people Arts and entertainment * Gothic rock or goth, a style of rock music * Goth subculture, developed by fans of gothic rock * ''Goth'' (2003 film), an American horror film * ''Goth'' (2008 f ...

, fetish fashion designer and musician who founded notable clothing companies Lip Service and Kill City.

Music

Bernstein played in several punk bands including

Crucifix A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...

and America's Hardcore. He once appeared in

Penelope Spheeris Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945) is an American film director, film producer, producer, and screenwriter. She has directed both documentary film, documentary and scripted films. Her best-known works include the trilogy titled ''The Decl ...

' punk film, ''

Suburbia A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

''.

Designer

Bernstein established the Lip Service clothing company in 1985 when at the age of 21 he was influenced by fashion designers of glam and death rock. Instead of continuing in their footsteps he saw a viable outlet for branding to goths and punks. In the company's beginning he relates he had a lot of wild ideas including his first success with selling leggings with prints of skulls and daggers. He began the alongside Linda Judy-Pugh in his garage making screen prints. Blacklockoutfit776

The brand was picked up by musicians and their fans who could access the clothes through specialty boutiques such as

Retail Slut Retail Slut was a clothing store in Los Angeles, California that specialized in punk, goth, and underground fashions. Founded in 1983 by Helen O'Neill, the store heavily supported the underground scenes such as the S&M, drag and rave communi ...

and NaNa. With growth, new accounts were added including California retail chain

Hot Topic Hot Topic, Inc. is an American fast-fashion company specializing in counterculture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested in rock music and video gaming, and most of the ...

. Close friend

Izzy Stradlin Jeffrey Dean Isbell (born April 8, 1962), known professionally as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and backing vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he re ...

, guitarist of

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...

, took one of Bernstein's Lip Service jackets and gave it to his singer

Axl Rose W. Axl Rose ( ; born William Bruce Rose Jr., February 6, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its inception in ...

to wear. The result was a major boost in sales. In 2005, he launched the Kill City brand, his edgy contemporary men and women's line. Bernstein opened retail stores between the 1980s and early 1990s, on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and then on Hollywood Boulevard. Bernstein opened another Kill City store on Melrose Avenue in 2008. Bernstein sold his brands to Los Angeles–based Iron Fist, continuing to work with the company as creative director until his death of an apparent suicide on August 18, 2014. Lina Lecaro of

L.A. Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

wrote in tribute: "Throughout the company's history, Bernstein remained its heart and soul. Despite evolving, he never abandoned the flamboyant underground. He employed hundreds of rockers and club miscreants in his companies, teaching them the ropes about business and mentoring future movers and shakers. He also sponsored Hollywood club events up until his death."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernstein, Drew 1963 births 2014 deaths 2014 suicides Goth subculture American fashion designers Artists from Los Angeles Suicides in California