Vivienne Westwood represents the pinnacle of British fashion design – an iconic brand with a history steeped in anarchic, nonconformist spirit.
READ: Dame Vivienne Westwood: We look back at the iconic punk fashion designer's incredible career
Tartan, safety pins, and the emblematic orb motif are all key design features that are still used in modern Vivienne Westwood collections today – instantly recognisable tropes that hark back to punk's golden days.
Her designs have been worn by no end of celebrities including Dua Lipa who sported a memorable corseted two-piece to the 2021 Brit Awards, as well as Hailey Bieber who turned to the label for her white off-the-shoulder dress that she wore to her wedding rehearsal dinner.
Who is Vivienne Westwood?
Born in Cheshire, Vivienne Westwood was a fashion designer who is best known for pioneering modern punk and new wave styles into mainstream dressing. After dropping out of art school she became a primary school teacher. Vivienne started out designing her own jewellery, which she sold at a market stall on Portobello Road, but it wasn't until she met Malcom McLaren – who became the manager of punk band the Sex Pistols – that she she began designing and creating Teddy Boy-style pieces for him.
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Dame Vivienne sadly passed away recently on December 29 2022. A memorial service held to honour the life of the fashion iconoclast took place in February 2023 and was attended by the some of the industry's most established names such as Kate Moss, Zandra Rhodes and Edward Enninful.
"Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better. She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future," her eponymous brand wrote in a statement.
What is the history of the Vivienne Westwood brand?
In 1974, Vivienne opened her boutique named ‘SEX’ on the King's Road. The store sold fetish and bondage wear by specialist brands as well as bespoke pieces designed by Vivienne and Malcom. All four members of the Sex Pistols were customers, with bass-player Glen Matlock even manning the shop floor on Saturdays.
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"It changed the way people looked. I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way," Vivienne told The Independent. "I realised there was no subversion without ideas. It's not enough to want to destroy everything."
Eventually, Vivienne and Malcom staged their first fashion show together in 1981, 'Pirate'. The collection featured historical cuts, asymmetrical neckline and plenty of swashbuckling grit and then over the years she developed her own eponymous label.
Hello! Fashion shares the Vivienne Westwood buys that will never go out of style:
Vivienne Westwood corset
Vivienne Westwood coat
Vivienne Westwood necklace
Vivienne Westwood scarf
Vivienne Westwood sunglasses
Vivienne Westwood mini dress
Vivienne Westwood tartan trousers
Vivienne Westwood shirt dress
Vivienne Westwood bag
Vivienne Westwood boots
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