Vivienne Westwood by Aubrey Maurer

Early Life

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On April 8th, 1941, Vivienne Isabel Swire was born in Tintwhistle, England to Dora and Gordon Swire. As a child, Vivienne admired her father's work as a cobbler and started designing jewelry when she could afford the materials.

How She Began As a Designer

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Once Vivienne Westwood finished secondary school, the Westwood family moved her and her sister to London. To pursue her interest in silversmithing, Vivienne enrolled at the University of Westminster at age 17. Unfortunately, she was told that she wouldn't make enough money to support a family, so she dropped out to become a school teacher.

Milestones

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Westwood never began as a celebrity or runway designer. Instead, her first milestone was opening her own store to the public. The small boutique "Let It Rock" opened in 1971 but was soon rebranded a year later to "Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die" after her clothes began to build and establish England's punk scene. She and her husband began to fill the store with biker wear, leather, and studded accessories that teens and young adults could mix and match to create their own looks.

Early Inspirations

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Westwood was inspired by the counter culture movement during her childhood in the 1950's. Americans are familiar with greasers while England had Teddy Boys. Their hair was longer than the rest of the boys and they had rebellious attitudes toward conformity. As a result, Westwood realized the impact that clothing has on someone's outward appearance.

Notable Moments in Fashion History

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-Westwood's shop was said to be "unlike anything else at the time".

-Her clothes directly fueled the punk and activism movements towards causes such as racial equality and anti-conformity.

-Westwood's husband was the manager of the band The Sex Pistols, who gained their image by dressing in early Westwood punk fashion.

-However, when the band broke up in 1978, the punk scene shifted into a new genre referred to as New Wave. This also broke down the store since Vivienne's husband lost his band and they closed the shop for two years.

Westwood's Style

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Her style is what kick-started the English punk wave, which has earned her the title "High Priestess of Punk". Additionally though, her style is often described as rebellious, unconvetional, and loud.

Signature Pattern

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Her most iconic tartan pattern is called the "MacAndreas" after her third (and current) husband, Andreas Kronthaler.

What makes her fashion so unique?

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Westwood's fashion embraces a unique style of shapes and materials that have a historical significance backed by activist movements that wouldn't have been the same without her influence.

Model Kate Moss

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Kate Moss for Vivienne Westwood Autumn/Winter 1993

An Iconic Collection

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One of Westwood's most recognizable trends now is her Saturn Orb Jewelry Collection. The iconic Saturn logo became her trademark in 1986. and has been worn by plenty of celebrities as well as referenced in media like shows such as Nana.

Fashion Impact

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Without Vivienne Westwood, punk culture would have been completely different, she really created her own genre. Her collaboration with counterculture started a movement of activism and protest to speak out against the issues in her country, which globally influenced many countries.

Client Helena Bonham Carter

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Bohem Carter wearing Vivienne Westwood at multiple award ceremonies

The Sex Pistols

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Vivienne Westwood's partnership with the Sex Pistols mutually benefited the shop and the band. For the band, Malcolm and Vivienne's fashion created their visual image and trademark style. This advertised Westwood fashion and attract fans of the band to shop at "Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die".

The image above features Westwood's "Destroy Nazis" shirt.

Controversial Exposure

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Vivienne Westwood was arrested in June of 1977 for "indecent exhibition" since her store publicly encouraged adult fashion. Even then, her less revealing clothing often featured direct messages that the English government wanted toned down. Westwood later regretted using this particular symbol at all, although her message has always been anti-fascist. Taking in the whole picture, the text reads "Destroy Nazis" - not the alternative message that it is often misinterpreted as.

Eco-friendly practices

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The Vivienne Westwood brand takes pride in having a neutral carbon footprint, collaborating with charities to reduce climate damage, and continuing to protest for climate activism. The brand was built on rallying for a cause, and continues to do so over fifty years later.

How Westwood is remembered

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Vivienne Westwood is remembered as the "High Priestess of Punk" for her innovative creation of the punk scene. She was a groundbreaking activist known for her unwavering political views and always inspired others to fight injustices.

For her courage, Westwood has been awarded her Damehood of the Order of the British Empire, one of the most prestigious English awards, given to the recipient by the government for an outstanding effort towards bettering the country.

Sustainable materials

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Westwood's brand only uses high-quality materials to ensure the product's life expectancy. Their metals are chosen from areas that would not disturb wildlife, and all materials sourced from animals are cruelty-free, guaranteed.

The lasting impact of punk fashion

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After the decline of punk as the largest counter culture genre, quite a few other genres and sub genres gained popularity, one being New Wave fashion. This style of dress similarly became a form of rebellion in the following decade, the 1980s. Some of the similarities include big hairstyles, dark makeup, and ripped clothing. Additionally, Westwood's plaid and tartan continued to inspire future counterculture genres.

The main difference is that new wave fashion tends to lean towards more colorful themes compared to punk outfits.

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Her passion for jewelry never left, though. She continued to craft jewelry and sell her work at craft shows. After her five year marriage with Derek Westwood ended, she kept the last name, remarried Malcolm McLaren and entered the fashion world with him as Vivienne Westwood.

Westwood is Re-established

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After her hiatus, Westwood began launching professional collections to be featured on the runway. Without losing her signature plaid patterns, Westwood was inspired by her love for Renaissance clothing. After her success as a professional designer, she was able to reopen her store with the name "Worlds End" which is still doing business to this day.

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The Saturn Orb Collection has been worn by plenty of celebrities as well as referenced in media such as Nana, an anime where the characters wear Vivienne Westwood jewelry and inspired clothes.

Rock Against Racism

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A specific example of counterculture protest in the 70s was the Rock Against Racism event. This concert was a result of racist attacks in the United States and was created to unite people to demand the reconstruction of American values.

Spotlight on Musicians

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A few years before she passed, Westwood became a fan of both Billie Eilish and Courtney Love. She enjoyed their music and also appreciated their expressive styles.

Animal Activism

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Westwood was an advocate for vegetarianism because she cared so much about animals and encouraged others to join the vegetarian movement.