What do you think of when you hear the word ‘fashion’? For most women, the word ‘beauty’ naturally follows. But if you asked British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, her answer would begin with whatever makes you confident, proud, and happy but with unexpected individuality. Well, how could you expect any less from the Queen of Punk?
So, when the 81-year-old icon pass away on December 28 last year, the world was in shock and started asking questions, most of them concerning the future of her business and influences. While it might sound like a typical management-related issues, the fact that Vivienne Westwood herself was the ‘brand’ is a good enough reason for the anxiety.
Social activists love her commitment. Environmentalists admire her vision. The LGBT++ community sees her as their inspiration of courage. For millions of young people, Westwood is an exemplar of endless possibilities without restriction.
This is the woman who made punk an haute couture, infusing her rebellious streak with aesthetic flair that provoked and challenged conventional beliefs. Whether they were done in playful or serious manners, they never failed to turn heads and forced us to reevaluate the true meaning of beauty and our views about the world.
“I’ve constantly tried to provoke people into thinking afresh and for themselves, to escape their inhibitions and programming,” the forward thinker said. “That’s the main reason I’m in fashion.”
Westwood used clothes, hair, and makeup as a canvas to express her messages. Her style was easily recognizable; in-your-face graphic patterns, edgy printed slogans on t-shirts, and the reinterpretation of fashion from different eras such as the 19th century. Of course, we must not forget that tartan and Harris Tweed plaid skirt, the corset, the crinoline, the crazy platform shoes, and the Pirate (Autumn/Winter 1981) collection that became known as the ’New Romantic’ look.
The outspoken designer also walked the talk. Westwood was actively involved in political and environmental movements, which she was passionate about all her life both on the runways and on the streets. She often took part in environmental demonstrations. In 2015, she rode a tank to then British Prime Minister David Cameron’s constituency home to protest against hydraulic fracking. In June 2020, she suspended herself in a giant birdcage to protest the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Derbyshire, England on April 8, 1941, her mother worked as a weaver; and her father was a shoemaker. Her passion for clothmaking began in teenage years. Westwood worked as a primary school teacher, got married with her first husband. After their divorce, she met Malcolm McLaren in 1965. That was the beginning of punk culture.
The red-hair fashion rebel was 30 when she began designing in 1971, along with McLaren. The couple had a shop at 430 Kings Road, London. By the end of seventies, Westwood became the face of British avant-garde. It was only in 1981 when the creative duo had their first runway show, a departure from niche fashion to high fashion. It was also a perfect new platform for Westwood to spread her messages in more subtle manner. Her contribution to the country’s fashion was officially recognized in 2006 when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire by the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
For the last few decades of her 50-year career, Westwood supported a dozen of charities and foundations including 21st Century Leaders, Aids Life, American Foundation for AIDS Research, Greenpeace, Oxfam, PETA, Small Steps Project, Survival International, Whatever It Takes, Environmental Justice Foundation, and Friends of the Earth.
She was one of the few celebrities who advocated for climate change from the beginning. Among her works were being an ambassador for Greenpeace, designing their official ‘Save the Arctic’ logo in 2013, and taking part in the global campaign to stop drilling and industrial fishing in the area in 2015.
Westwood closely worked with www.CoolEarth.org, a charity which works to save the rainforest, as well as the United Nations, Environmental Protection Agency to reestablish the fragmented forests of Europe.
Responsible and ethical fashion was her another commitment. Westwood encouraged people to “buy less, choose well, make it last” which reflected in her support of those non-profits.
Today, the brand’s Creative Director Andreas Kronthaler is in charge of the business. Westwood met him while he was an Austrian design student in her class. Their 25-year age gap was no obstacle as the couple got married in 1992.
But the key legacy is the Vivienne Foundation, which she set up a few months before her death with her sons and grandchildren.
Without activism, the house of Vivienne Westwood would never be the same. It is at the heart of her global brand and represents the fashion maverick herself. Customers buy her clothes not just because of the unique creativity, but because they love what she did.
And the story of punk, plaid, and passion live on.
