Back in 1976, in Ealing, West London, a young woman named Susan Lucas walked into a local barber shop with a daring request. She wanted the middle section of her already short hair completely shaved, leaving only two tufts on either side, which she’d grease up to mimic the iconic Bride of Frankenstein.
Recalling the moment in a 2009 interview, she remembered the barber’s initial shock, believing she was joking. Yet, he eventually agreed, and as he finished, she mused, “I think he felt bad about what he’d done.”
What remained were two distinct tufts, meticulously shaped to stand upright like feline ears on either side of her newly shaved head.
Despite the barber’s apprehension, she stated, “I was really pleased with it.”
These unique “ears” were then dyed black and styled with Vicks VapoRub, giving birth to her unforgettable persona: Soo Catwoman.
That same summer, she became a prominent figure in London’s burgeoning punk scene, connecting with Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols at the renowned Club Louise. Her striking image soon became the unofficial emblem of the movement, famously appearing on the cover of the Sex Pistols fanzine, Anarchy in the U.K.
An iconic black-and-white image of Soo Catwoman, her distinctive hairstyle and intense gaze captured on the cover of the Sex Pistols fanzine, Anarchy in the U.K. This photograph, credited to Glitterbesast and Ray Stevenson/Camera Press (via Redux), solidified her status as a central figure in the London punk movement.
Her aesthetic, characterized by dramatic eyeliner, a black star on her cheek, and a skull earring, paired with an unwavering, devil-may-care expression, epitomized the raw and rebellious glamour of British punk.
Celebrated photographer Bob Gruen, who extensively documented the early punk scene, once remarked, “For me, rock ‘n’ roll is all about haircut and attitude. And she had both.”
Soo Catwoman, a true original, passed away on September 30th at a London hospital at the age of 70. Her daughter, Dion October Lucas, confirmed that the cause of death was complications from meningitis.
The iconic fanzine photograph, initially published without her consent, quickly spread, appearing on countless T-shirts and posters. Her image was widely used to promote the punk aesthetic, often without her permission or any form of compensation.
In a 2009 statement, she lamented this unauthorized use, saying, “It seems that my face and image, my ‘art’ as some have called it, has been hijacked. I’ve lost count of the amount of things that my face has since been used to publicize over the years, from books to clothing and everything in between.”
As her image became inextricably linked with punk, Soo Catwoman became a fixture in British media. Her story and persona were later dramatized in Julien Temple’s 1980 mockumentary The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle and the 2022 mini-series Pistol.
A vintage black-and-white photograph by Ray Stevenson/Camera Press (via Redux) shows Soo Catwoman at the forefront of the Bromley Contingent in 1976, surrounded by other creatively styled followers of the Sex Pistols.
Her do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) attitude left a significant mark on the fashion world, inspiring renowned designers like Thierry Mugler, Chanel, and Junya Watanabe. Their runways featured models sporting distorted Union Jack patterns and spiky hairstyles, directly echoing her style. Even Keith Flint of The Prodigy famously adopted acid-green cat ears, a clear homage to Soo Catwoman.
As penned by Mark Perry in his 1996 book, And God Created Punk, Soo Catwoman “was the female face of punk, the sexual opposite of Johnny Rotten.” He further asserted her profound impact: “Next to Vivienne Westwood she was the most influential woman in punk fashion. If she wore something, others followed.”
Born Susan Helene Lucas on October 24, 1954, in London, she was the tenth of fifteen children to John William Lucas, a merchant navy member, and Mary (Cobb) Lucas. Her parents famously combined two houses in Chiswick to accommodate their large family.
During her teenage years, she found inspiration in the flamboyant styles of glam rock artists like David Bowie, which led her to dye a striking pink stripe into her sharply pointed bangs.
By age 21, after unveiling her groundbreaking haircut and accessorizing with unique jewelry crafted from items like needles and broken razor blades, she quickly became a prominent figure. Photographers captured her alongside punk legends such as Billy Idol and members of The Damned. In the 1970s, she even shared a flat with Sid Vicious, earning the affectionate moniker “Auntie Sue” due to her compassionate nature.
Her musical contributions included backing vocals on The Invaders’ 1979 album Test Card and lead vocals on their single Backstreet Romeo. After a period away from the spotlight, she returned in 1989 to record a cover of The O’Jays’ Back Stabbers, collaborating with Derwood Andrews of Generation X and Rat Scabies of The Damned.
In a 1976 photograph by David Corio (via Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Soo Catwoman is seen in London alongside notable punk figures: Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies of The Damned, and singer-songwriter Wreckless Eric.
As punk’s raw energy began to be commercialized and co-opted by the mainstream, Soo Catwoman gradually retreated from public life. She recounted a stark shift: from enduring daily insults and being shunned on public transport as if “contagious,” to witnessing a new wave of privileged individuals entering the scene. In a 2007 interview with Punk77, she wryly observed, “Those of us with holes in our jumpers didn’t actually put them there on purpose.”
Reflecting on her later life, Bob Gruen recalled, “I had an exhibit in London a while ago, and Soo came to the opening, and she was this sweet English housewife.”
Her daughter, Dion Lucas, shared with The Times of London after her mother’s passing that “Although she was the epitome of punk, as far as her image, she was a hippie underneath it all.”
In her personal life, she home-schooled her children and championed local causes, such as a campaign to save a tree at their school. Her eclectic tastes included reading Romantic poets and enjoying music from Neil Young to Motown.
In 2008, her daughter initiated a heartfelt campaign to reclaim and control her mother’s iconic image, producing and selling silk-screened T-shirts and tote bags online.
Dion Lucas explained in 2009 that her mother’s image was often linked to “negativity, words like ‘destroy’ and ‘anarchy,’ and the mental pictures they conjure up don’t really fit with the person she is.” She clarified that Soo’s beliefs were rooted in “a mental revolution — about people learning to think for themselves.”
A smiling Soo Catwoman, captured in a black-and-white photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns (via Getty Images), embodying the “haircut and attitude” that photographer Bob Gruen admired.
Soo Catwoman is survived by her daughter, Dion October Lucas; her son, Shem Lucas; ten brothers: Paul, John, Tony, Steve, Joe, Jim, Dave, Robert, Roland, and Adam; her sister, Linda Lucas Kenny; and four grandchildren.
Reflecting on her enduring legacy on her Myspace page years prior, Soo Catwoman mused on how the style she pioneered had transformed.
“It still seems strange to me that what happened back then could bring about so many changes, in hair, music, fashion, etc.,” she wrote. “It seems quite funny that what started out as anti-fashion became fashion in itself.”