FAMILY LIFE: Vivienne married Derek PUNK: Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, QUOTES: Westwood (Hoover factory apprentice) in 1962 cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of Vivienne Westwood: and made her own wedding dress. In 1963 the punk subculture. • Fashion, she said, was ‘a baby I picked up Westwood gave birth to a son named Subcultures such as glam rock, skinheads, rude and never put down’
Benjamin Westwood. boys, greasers and mods have all influenced Punk • ‘I think I’m lucky to have a job that has
Upon meeting Malcolm McLaren, it signified the fashion. Many punks use clothing to make a enabled me to tap my potential’ end of Westwood’s marriage to Derek. After statement. • ‘The innovators challenge orthodoxy. moving in together, McLaren decided to open a The punk style included SAFETY PINS, ZIPS, Chanel’s clothes physically liberated woman. boutique at 430 King’s Road- ‘Let It Rock’. RAZOR BLADES, TORN FABRIC, DENIM, Saint Laurent’s gave her a sense of power.
Westwood began to sell her outrageous designs in LEATHER, COMBAT BOOTS, and BICYCLE OR Westwood’s provide an ironic mask with the shop, which drew inspiration from bikers, LAVATORY CHAINS on clothing. Spiked dog which she can project many personae and fetishists and prostitutes. During this period, collars were worn for jewellery, as well as behind which she can hide her McLaren became manager of the punk band ‘Sex outrageous make-up and hair. Often more vulnerabilities and even her ordinariness’ Pistols’ and the band wore Westwood’s designs traditional elements such as Tartan were By Jane Mulvagh Fashion Historian.
attracting fame to all involved. McLaren was later incorporated into a design manager of the ‘New York Dolls’. Westwood was heavily influenced by the punk FABRICS: Traditional British fabrics have fashion phenomena of the 1970’s. Even today Key facts about Vivienne always been of great importance to Vivienne’s Westwood still owns the shop at 430 King’s Road, designs. Textiles such as Harris Tweed, Scottish Tartan, Irish Linen and wool from Huddersfield now known as ‘World’s End’ from which she sells Westwood… her Anglomania Label. are modified to Vivienne’s specifications; she Some years later Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Vivienne always pushes boundaries. When Prada even designed tartans which are then specially Westwood had a son- Joseph Corre, who is does minimalist, she does avant-garde. When the woven for her. It normally takes 200 years to founder of lingerie brand Agent Provocateur. world does Grey, she does Red. She has her own have a tartan recognised by the Lochcarron of
Scotland. Vivienne created her own tartan. The style and does not follow trends, -she stands for what she believes in. combination of these fabrics make her creations INFLUENCES: Westwood has influenced and more exciting and shocking. launched the careers of many designers, e.g. she employed the services of Partick Cox to design shoes for her Clint Eastwood collection in 1984.
The result was a prototype for nine-inch-heeled shoes like the ones worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell when she fell during a Westwood fashion show in Paris in 1994.
FEARLESS: Westwood’s decided to re-introduce
the Corset Karl Lagereld described the Corset as OTHER ROLES: Demonstrating the impact of her PRESENT DAY: Although in the past Westwood’s th long career, Westwood’s designs were featured in designs were heavily influenced by Punk fashion. one of the most important ideas of the 20 the 2008 film adaption of the award winning With time as she matured her designs have also Century. At a time when the corset was becoming television series ‘Sex and the City’. The character developed. Having said that even with maturity rather unpopular Westwood added it to her
Carrie Bradshaw becomes engaged to Mr Big. her designs are still instantly recognisable and collection and re-launched the Corset. Since then
Carrie an editor at Vogue magazine is asked to certainly unique. Vivienne Westwood has gone the corset has been a historical influence which is model wedding dresses for an article/photo shoot from strength to strength and as famous today clear within her collections. She takes original one of which is a Westwood creation. as she was back in the Punk era. cutting principles and modernises them. Fearless in Uses traditional HOW HAS WESTWOOD INFLUENCED OTHER DESIGNERS: life/work/general silhouettes/garments Westwood has inspired other well-known designers. In 1994 Liz Hurley wore a Versace beautiful simple little black dress to partner Hugh Grant’s film attitude. and updates them. premiere for film ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. This dress has been voted
the ‘greatest red carpet dress of all time’. The only visible decorative Unique styles/ features were the safety pins which were used to attach two panels. This designs. Instantly was an innovative feature which could quite easily have been inspired by recognisable. Westwood’s earlier designs, as in the Punk fashion era safety pins were used on garments on a regular basis.
Shocking Willing to take risks Lots of Westwood’s work appears unfinished. Garments have torn/raw seams, visible zips, and decorative features such as safety pins and chains sewn in place.
Most designers match the colour of the fabric with the zip, Westwood often Key facts about uses contrasting colours. Most designers sew the zip in carefully ensuring that it is not visible. Some of Westwood’s designs have exposed zips. Hemlines are normally over-locked (to neaten raw Vivienne Westwood… edges and gain a more professional look) and sewn in place neatly, lots of Westwood’s garments have unfinished raw edges. This of course is all part of her design concept.
Although Westwood’s work in aimed at the higher end of the fashion market, being expensive, her designs are influencing other well known designers as well as high street stores. Stores such as Determined character/ Does not fear Topshop, River Island and H&M are selling goods today with the unfinished look about them. Representatives from each company will be sent to catwalk shows where they make notes and headstrong publicity/media sketches based on future trends. When they return to their own companies they try and incorporate some of next season’s trends into their own designs. These garments will possibly be inspired by Vivienne Westwood’s catwalk show then watered down into a range which can be mass
Supports British produced for high street stores. Influenced by the men/music in her manufacturers and Here are some examples of garments currently available in our high street stores inspired by incorporates British Westwood’s unfinished look: life fabrics
USEFUL WEBSITES: By visiting some of the suggested websites listed below you can see a range of Vivienne Westwood’s creations. • www.viviennewestwood.com • www.vam.ac.uk • www.londonfashionweek.co.uk • www.designmuseum.org • www.wikipedia.org • www.telegraph.co.uk