Dame Vivienne Westwood, 1941-2022: An Overview of her Life

Words by Lucy Hopton

Vivienne Westwood, Queen of Punk, was one of the most influential British designers of the last fifty years. She consistently redefined high fashion by combining modern grunge with seventeenth- and eighteenth-century dress, and her death leaves a gaping hole in British fashion. I wanted to expand on some of the most iconic moments of her career – from her beginnings on Kings Road in the 1970s to the supermodels of the 1990s – to explore how she built her fashion empire.

1970s

Vivienne had longed to become a fashion designer growing up, but instead she became a teacher in her twenties, selling jewellery on the side, and married her first husband, Derek Westwood, in 1962. When she became involved with eccentric art student Malcolm McLaren in 1965, however, her marriage ended. From this point onwards Vivienne left her previous life behind to devote more time to the exciting London fashion scene.

Vivienne was a skilled seamstress, and made clothes for herself and McLaren, whose style was inspired by 1950s nostalgia and the ‘Teddy Boy’ movement. Her designs caught the eye of ‘Paradise Garage’ owner Bradley Mendelssohn, who offered the couple a space behind his shop on Kings Road, London, to sell Vivienne’s designs. The couple opened ‘Let it Rock’, inspired by the Teddy Boys, which they renamed ‘Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die’ a year later, leaning more into biker aesthetic. King’s Road was a vital location for Westwood to establish her boutique, given that the street was a popular ‘Teddy Boy’ and later Punk hang-out.

From 1974 Westwood’s store embraced the punk and fetish aesthetic, rebranding the shop to ‘SEX’ then ‘Seditionaries’ in 1976, selling provocative graphic T-shirts, using ripped materials and exposed seams, all of which are staples of her brand today. Punk was a form of musical, fashion, and political expression prevalent amongst working-class youths experiencing the declining 1970s economy; it was anti-establishment, anti-mainstream. Slogans ironically included ‘God Save the Queen’, and controversially even the Swastika (a symbol which most punks claimed they didn’t actually support, but rather used it to grab attention).

The Sex Pistols

Her career breakthrough was when she partnered with punk band Sex Pistols, managed by McLaren, dressed by Westwood. Usually designers partner with an individual (such as Givenchy’s long relationship with Audrey Hepburn), but Westwood broke the mould. The collaboration was so successful that, in her own words, “I didn’t bother to sell the clothes in any other venue at all. I didn’t have any outlet for the clothes other than that shop because the extension of my business was the Sex Pistols.”[1]

1980s
Pirates

In the 1980s, Westwood (having finally settled on her shop name ‘At Worlds End’) moved into the high fashion world with her AW81-82 collection in London, ‘Pirates’. To her, punk had run its course – whilst it had made a statement it didn’t enact change, so she used the catwalk to make her own mark, building on her punk roots. ‘Pirates’ was completely stand-out at the time, created in the ‘new romantic’ style. Westwood directly drew from the French Revolution Incroyables as well as pirates to create what looked to some like pantomime costumes.

The collection introduced the ‘squiggle print’, the ‘pirate boots’, and corsetry, all of which are staples in her brand today. McLaren explained in a 1983 interview that punk emphasises realness, ‘genuineness’, and an ‘unpackaged’ look, and what better way to this than through historical garments which look like they’ve been worn through the ages.[2]

Westwood herself described how she was inspired by the old patterns of clothes: “their priorities were totally different from what our priorities are: they didn’t want to cut a trouser that neatly defined the two cheeks of your bum… They were interested in sexuality in a totally different way. The dynamics were different but the sex was there.”[3] This collection is really enjoyable to look back at, and I think it sets the stage for the fun, wild, and crazy runways seen by more designers in the following decades.

Collaboration with Keith Haring

Vivienne Westwood’s AW83/4 collection involved a collaboration with world-famous artist Keith Haring. Inspired by the ‘magical’ symbols he used, Westwood named the collection ‘Witches’. This was a huge transatlantic collaboration for Westwood, with one of the skirts from the collection worn by Madonna in her 1983 ‘Borderline’ music video.

Harris Tweed

Perhaps the most significant collaboration with Vivienne Westwood came in Autumn-Winter 1987 with her ‘Harris Tweed’ collection. Harris Tweed is the only fabric legally protected by an Act of Parliament; it must be made with pure virgin wool, created by skilled artisans start to finish on the Outer Hebrides islands in Scotland. The method uses generations of knowledge and is still done completely by hand, though by the 1980s the industry was dying. Vivienne Westwood was inspired by a girl she saw on the tube one day who was wearing a Harris Tweed jacket, a neatly plaited bun, and carrying ballet shoes. Who would have thought that this encounter could spark a revival in the use of Harris Tweed, not only in Westwood’s work, but in the fashion community as a whole?

This collaboration was especially significant because the trademark Harris Tweed symbol – the orb – was henceforth gifted to and adopted by Vivienne Westwood.

1990s

Pearl Chokers and Corsets

Perhaps what most people know Vivienne Westwood for nowadays are her pearl chokers and corsets, which became increasingly popular after her 1990 Autumn-Winter show ‘Portrait’, inspired by nineteenth-century furniture and French paintings. Once again, Vivienne was inspired by the past to use pearls, which have been seen for thousands of years as a symbol of beauty and luxury. This timelessness appealed to her, and when talking about her ‘three-row pearl drop choker’ she commented:

“You could fit it in practically any period and it would look great. So I chose things in that way, I wanted them to be complete.”

However, Westwood’s designs depart from traditional jewellery by using glass-based or resin pearls, in a bid to make the production process more sustainable and more accessible. Westwood is a long-time climate activist, and she sets an example to all designers by consciously working in a more eco-friendly way. Furthermore, I think the use of pearls relates to  Vivienne Westwood’s punk roots by working with ideas of class. Punk grew largely from working-class youth commenting on the growing wealth gap in the 1970s, whilst pearl chokers historically have been only accessible to the aristocracy; in a way, the excess of opulence in Westwood’s shows ironically highlights the absurd amount of wealth that the aristocracy flaunt.

‘Portrait’ also debuted the iconic corset with the 1743 ‘Daphnis and Chloe’ oil painting printed on the front panel (which you’ve probably seen all over TikTok and Instagram and, if you’re like me, wish you owned). Westwood was probably the only designer I can think of aside from Martin Margiela who imitated historical dress so directly – something I love her for. The idea of underwear as outerwear also pays homage to ‘SEX’ and ‘Seditionaries’ and her past incorporation of fetish-wear into her designs.

Naomi Campbell’s Graceful Fall

In 1993 Westwood’s catwalk was the stage for one of the most iconic moments in 90s supermodel history: Naomi Campbell’s fall. Looking at pictures, you would think it was the platform heels that caused the model to trip, but it was actually the rubber leggings worn by Naomi which got caught as she walked! When Naomi walked back out a second time, she was sent out carrying a cane, but refused to use it. In an interview with Vogue, the pair discussed this moment: according to Naomi, the moment was so paramount that other designers asked her to fall for them in subsequent shows – something which she of course refused.

Queen meets Queen

In recognition of her huge contribution to British fashion, Vivienne Westwood received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth in 1992. The meeting caused quite a stir though; when photographed at Buckingham Palace it was revealed that she actually met the Queen commando-style with only sheer tights under her skirt! Thankfully the Queen reportedly found it amusing, and Westwood later became a Dame in 2006.

It is hard to underestimate the impact Vivienne Westwood has had on British fashion by creating exciting new pieces with an edge. More recently she focused her efforts on climate activism, as her husband and long-term collaborator Andreas Kronthaler had taken a more prominent role in her business, taking over her Gold Label line under the new name Andrews Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood.

Vivienne Westwood is one of my favourite designers because of her historical references, fun themes, and inspiration from subcultures, and I encourage everyone to explore her decades of work! Dame Vivienne Westwood will be sorely missed by those both in the fashion world and beyond it; her legacy is one of profound innovation and activism, and one which will be remembered for a long time.

[1] ‘Vivienne Westwood’ Jon Savage, The Face, January 1981.

[2] SS83 ‘Punkature’ interview, linked at the end.

[3] ‘Vivienne Westwood’ Jon Savage, The Face, January 1981.

Vivienne Westwood interview with Jon Savage - Vivienne Westwood. By Jon Savage : Articles, reviews and interviews from Rock's Backpages. (rocksbackpages.com)

Watch Vivienne Westwood’s entire SS83 ‘Punkature’ runway collection, including an interview with the designer herself and Malcolm McLaren at the end: Punkature SS83 - YouTube.