Where to start? A fashion designer, entrepreneur, revolutionary, pioneer of punk and now a subject in history textbooks. Vivienne Westwood was no ordinary fashion designer. She sought trends she could spin as her own; she was the trend starter and founder of punk, always finding new ways to blend art and fashion. She recently passed away, but her contributions to the fashion industry will impact future generations of designers to come.
Vivienne Westwood, named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2006, brought contemporary punk and fashion together, using her rebellious style to advocate her political views. A self-taught designer, Westwood taught herself to make clothes as a teenager, taking garments apart and putting them back together to understand where to cut and where to sew. She loved the chaotically messy look associated with destroying materials and then putting them back together, hence the abundance of biker-esque zips and leather found in her earlier designs.
Elysze Held, former fashion editor of the Miami Herald’s Indulge Magazine, calls Westwood an icon, recalling how “she lit up the room” when they met at a fashion event. Westwood’s attention to detail and her unique, ground-breaking designs helped pave the way to transforming fashion into a rebellious artform.
“The construction was always perfect,” said Held, specifically discussing the leather Westwood used, which was “fabulous for handbags and dresses.”
Westwood was a schoolteacher until 1965, when she divorced her first husband, Derek Westwood. Shortly after, she met her partner, Malcolm McLaren, who would become the propeller of her fashion career. Manager of the band Sex Pistols at the time, McLaren searched for ways to differentiate his artists from flashy supergroups, such as The Beatles, that dominated the music scene.
Westwood and McLaren began designing provocative T-shirts that would bridge the gap between fashion and music, giving youth a way to channel their expression through their clothing.
In 1971, the couple opened Let It Rock, a shop selling ripped T-shirts featuring unconventional sayings and symbols. They rebranded the store many times, calling it Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die, SEX and Seditionaries. The racy nature of their clothing landed the two in hot water, getting prosecuted under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act.
That didn’t stop them. They rebranded the store to become even more provocative, challenging both government and society, with T-shirts more suggestive and controversial than before. Eventually, the pair settled on the name World’s End for their store, which still stands to this day.
In 1981, Westwood and McLaren went their separate ways, with McLaren continuing to manage bands before eventually releasing eight studio albums. As for Westwood, she transcended into the realm of independent fashion design trailblazers, unveiling a line called “Punkature” that same year which she derived from Philip K. Dick’s novel, “Blade Runner.”
In 1985, Westwood released a mini crinoline skirt called the Mini-Crini, which was essentially the mini-skirt version of the stiffened and hooped petticoats used to make long skirts stick out in the 19th century. This moment was truly a turning point for Westwood to establish herself as an independent designer, gaining her lots of recognition.
“I learned to take risks and think outside of the box from Vivienne Westwood’s career,” said Taylor Sussman, the Buying Lead at Ralph Lauren Women’s Polo and Collection.
Sussman appreciates how Westwood opened the fashion world to Avant-Garde dressing. While she does not see much of Westwood’s influence working for Ralph Lauren — which is known for being very preppy — she is excited to see that punk rock has begun to re-emerge in fashion.
Throughout her career, Westwood released collections that paid tribute to fashion from centuries past, including her resurrection of tweed jackets in the Harris Tweed Collection from her Autumn/Winter 1987–‘88 release. Westwood revived corsets in her 1990 Spring/Summer Portrait Collection, turning a garment that once connotated the rigid boundaries of society into one that highlighted female empowerment, transforming it from underwear to outerwear. This piece was inspired by François Boucher’s 1743 painting, “Daphnis and Chloe.”
Westwood garnered much inspiration from Boucher, using his artwork as a print for clothes throughout her collections. Westwood released another collection enhanced with the Boucher painting “Hercules and Omphale” in her Spring/Summer 1993 collection.
Westwood’s fame continued to rise over the years and, in 1989, John Fairchild of Women’s Wear Daily selected Westwood as one of the six top designers worldwide. In 1991, Westwood received her first of three awards for Fashion Designer of the Year from the British Fashion Council. In 1992, she was made a member of the Order of the British Empire, an honorary title for those who have made substantial contributions to the arts, sciences, philanthropy or public service.
10 years later in April 2002, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London created an exhibit called “Vivienne Westwood: 34 Years in Fashion,” the museum’s most extensive collection ever dedicated to a British designer. In 2006, she was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Vivienne Westwood quickly became a household name and sought after for dressing the famous, ranging from politicians’ wives to supermodels. Yet despite all this prestige, Westwood never let go of her rebellious roots and attitude. She remained an activist all her life, raising awareness of climate change and rising sea levels.
Westwood’s activism echoed into her designs. In recent years, she transitioned into more sustainable fashion, using recycled denim and materials with lesser environmental impact.
As for Westwood’s impact on contemporary fashion, punk continues to filtrate through the fashion pyramid. While punk is now targeted at the general public and not solely marginalized communities, its effect on culture is immeasurable, influencing rappers like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti.
In a 1988 interview with BBC, Westwood said she envisioned men wearing her pearl necklaces, defying traditional heteronormative fashion modes, that her clothes were not meant to conform; she was alternative.
In both modern trends and nostalgia, punk lives on, although it is now considered mainstream by the fashion industry. Vivienne Westwood’s brand is tied not only to fashion, but has streamlined into pop culture, too.
Fashion lover and UM sophomore majoring in art history, Katie Brubaker, recalls being in awe of Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding gown designed by Vivienne Westwood in “Sex and the City: The Movie.”
“It is my dream to get married in a dress just like it,” said Brubaker. “I love the way she blends classic couture with punk style.”
Brubaker spent a summer saving up money to buy the iconic Vivienne Westwood pearl choker secondhand and loves the modern, edgy flare the studded pendant adds to her night-out looks.
The world stood still when Vivienne Westwood passed away on December 29, 2022, mourning one of the greatest and influential people of our time. In life and in passing, Westwood’s impact continues to inspire and motivate people though her advocacy and bold personality.
Held, saddened by Westwood’s passing, spoke of the relationship between art and fashion highlighted in Westwood’s designs, saying the job of fashion, art and music is that “they are all interdisciplinary.”
Donatella Versace called her the “greatest punk,” describing how her designs spoke of true rebellion and independence in a heartfelt Instagram post following Westwood’s passing.
“I was so sad to hear about her passing,” says Kelly Brennan, a University of Miami sophomore majoring in political science. “I think she created a timeless brand emblematic of her values and specific to itself in its unique designs.”
While Vivienne Westwood has passed on, her brand and legacy lives on through her designs and the people they touched.
words_caleigh russo. design_adriana león. photo_gracie herron.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2023 print issue.
