VIVIENNE WESTWOOd

KNOWN AS THE PIONEER OF THE PUNK FASHION MOVEMENT IN ENGLAND, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD WAS FIRST INTERESTED, WITH HER THEN-HUSBAND MALCOLM MCLAREN, IN 1950S STYLE AND MUSIC. TOGETHER, IN 1971, THEY OPENED THEIR SHOP LET IT ROCK AT 430 KINGS ROAD. BY 1972, AS THE PAIR'S INSPIRATION TURNED TOWARDS BIKER CLOTHING, ZIPS AND LEATHER, THE STORE WAS RENAMED: "TOO FAST TO LIVE, TOO YOUNG TO DIE" AND LATER "SEX". DURING THIS PERIOD, THEY DESIGNED PROVOCATIVE T-SHIRTS FEATURING OBSCENE MESSAGES AND IMAGES SUCH AS SWASTIKAS. OTHER ICONIC ITEMS FROM THIS PERIOD INCLUDE MOHAIR SWEATERS AND BONDAGE JEANS.

AS MCLAREN BECAME THE MANAGER OF THE PUNK BAND SEX PISTOLS, IT BOOSTED WESTWOOD’S FAME AS SHE STARTED DESIGNING CLOTHES FOR THE GROUP AND CREATING THE PUNK ROCK STYLE. THE SHOP REBRANDED ONCE AGAIN, THIS TIME TO “SEDITIONARIES”, WELCOMING MANY PUNK ICONS WITH CLOTHES CHARACTERISED BY AN OBSCURE SEXUAL FETISHISM AESTHETIC. IN 1981, AS THE PUNK MOVEMENT FADED, WESTWOOD AND MCLAREN REINCARNATED THE BRAND WITH A ROMANTIC LOOK EXHIBITED IN THEIR FIRST CATWALK: THEIR FAMOUS PIRATE COLLECTION. UNTIL 1984, THE DESIGNER DUO PRESENTED COLLECTIONS INSPIRED BY MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES, SUCH AS THE NATIVE AMERICANS OR PERUVIAN WOMEN AND GEOMETRICAL SHAPES. AFTER THAT, WESTWOOD AND MCLAREN SEPARATED AND STOPPED WORKING TOGETHER. THIS SEPARATION MARKED A NEW ERA IN WESTWOOD’S CREATIONS, “THE PAGAN YEARS”. HER INSPIRATIONS SHIFTED FROM THE NEW ROMANTIC TO UPPER-CLASS STYLE, ROYALTY CLOTHES ALONG WITH THE "TATLER" GIRLS LOOK.

DURING THE 1990S, INSPIRED BY BOTH ENGLISH TAILORING AND FABRICS ALONG WITH FRENCH DESIGNS AND A SENSE OF PROPORTION, WESTWOOD CREATED ONCE AGAIN A NEW AND UNIQUE STYLE REPRESENTED BY NEW SILHOUETTES AND ITEMS SUCH AS THE HIGH PLATFORMS. AFTER 50 YEARS OF FASHION, ADAPTATION AND CONTINUOUS RENEWAL OF HER BRAND, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD WAS THE PIONEER OF MANY FASHION MOVEMENTS, ALWAYS ANTICIPATING THE NEXT MOVE OF THE FASHION WORLD WHILE CREATING HER STYLE AND EMPIRE. STILL SELLING HER CREATIONS IN HER 403 KINGS ROAD STORE IN LONDON, NOW NAMED WORLD’S END, WESTWOOD’S LABEL IS CURRENTLY STOCKED IN 450 SHOPS AROUND THE WORLD, ATTESTING TO HER GREAT SUCCESS IN FASHION THROUGH THE YEARS.