"Not many of us left who believe in a better world..."
- Vivienne Westwood, V&A interview.
Who was Westwood before she started her career?
Vivienne Westwood is British to the core. Born in 1941 in the rural English village of Tintwistle, her parents were simple people, struggling to survive amidst the tumult of war. When Vivienne was 17, her family decided to move to Harrow in London. There, she began studying at Harrow School of Art. She finished her education quite quickly, not knowing how a girl raised during the industrial revolution in the great British factories could possibly survive by relying on art. Following the voice of her generation, she sought a practical profession that would allow her to live a decent life. She took up a job in a factory and began teacher training.
How did she, as a teacher, enter the world of fashion?
It's hard to imagine today that the style creator for the Sex Pistols musicians was a primary school teacher in the 60s of the last century! The life of this exemplary wife and teacher, the mother of little Benjamin, turned upside down with the appearance on the horizon of a young and handsome art student, Malcolm McLaren. Her marriage to Derek Westwood was coming to an end, and Vivienne was slowly immersing herself in a completely new and unknown world to her.
In 1971, along with McLaren, she opened a clothing store "Let it Rock" on King’s Road 430 in London. During the 60s, London was still dominated by the hippie style, which they didn’t particularly like – they were rather absorbed by the idea of "exploiting culture to cause riots".
How Westwood became the godmother of punk rock?
The store, a decade in existence, underwent numerous image changes. Under the banner of “Let it Rock”, initially typical Teddy Boy British subculture clothing was sold. Creepers and so-called “drainpipe trousers”, men's tight jeans with a high waist, were reigning. Subtly long coats with velvet collars, inspired by the Edwardian era, but spiced with a fiery pinch of rock 'n' roll, were also popular.
The style of the shop on King's Road quickly radicalized – after four years, McLaren changed its name to "Sex". On the door, there was a quote from Thomas Fuller's "Gnomologia": "Craft must have Clothes but Truth loves to go naked", and the interior walls of the premises were filled with pornographic graffiti. Year by year, in the shop window one could spot more and more provocative latex, leather, strap and chain outfits, referring to sharp sexual fetishism. Westwood said that for some, these outfits might seem shocking, but she felt like a princess from another planet in them.
In 1976, the store underwent another transformation – it was renamed "Seditionaries-Clothes for Heroes". It also officially became the temple of punk rock culture. It was particularly known for T-shirts with rebellious slogans and prints. It’s no wonder that during this time McLaren became the manager of the Sex Pistols, and Vivienne Westwood was proclaimed the queen of the newly born punk rock.
What is Vivienne Westwood's style?
The collapse of the Sex Pistols and the introduction of punk into the mainstream brought Westwood a great disappointment. McLaren told her then: "Do something romantic. Look into the history". She thus embarked on a completely new path and... in 1981 she debuted on the catwalk with the neo-romantic collection Pirates, which perfectly fitted into the cards of fashion history.
Pirate silhouettes evoked the era of bandits, dandies and adventurers. The concept was greatly received – the bravest wore pirate clothes wholly, but usually one or two elements of the collection were used in stylizations (especially – characteristic undulating patterns on fabrics, slightly dropped eyepatches and mischievous sashes, which strongly opposed over-tight, hippie pants). This collection was another breakthrough event in Westwood's life - it was then that she learned the techniques of ethnic cuts based on rectangles.
Vivienne is a designer who seeks her inspirations in an exceptional way. Each of her subsequent collections described another chapter in the history of the world. Her creativity and love for art made that a simple meeting could become a seed of another brilliant idea. For example, the idea of the Witches collection from 1983/1984 was born in the artist's head after meeting Keith Haring and his art filled with mysticism.
The late 80s were another leap for Westwood. This time her inspiration were royal traditions. In the Harris Tweed collection, Westwood decided to parody the elegance and chic of upper-class women. Her silhouettes resembled exaggerated forms of girlish dresses combined with 18th-century corsets.
What is Vivienne Westwood's style then? Always, but always against the grain.
The fighting rebel
In 1990 and 1991, Westwood was awarded the title of British Designer of the Year. Her uncompromising and relentless search for new solutions is also reflected in her social and controversial nature.
In 2011, while working on her ethnic collection, she went with her photographer Juergen Teller to Africa. There, she decided to employ local women in the creation of her tote bag line. For their engagement production, Westwood appropriately rewarded her employees, who thanks to her could now start living at a decent level. She talked about her idea as follows: "this project gives people control over their lives (...) Charity does not give such control, it does something completely opposite, it makes people dependent on others".
In the same year, Westwood actively joined the anticapitalist protest in front of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Issues related to climate change have always been close to her heart. She also loudly and explicitly supports various movements related to world politics. In 2012, she expressed her support for Julian Assange's cause by distributing t-shirts with supportive slogans to the guests of her show.
Vivienne Westwood is a true rebel by choice, who has been making fashion a utilitarian art for years. She never succumbs to trends, always boldly expresses her opinion – whether it is a fashion manifesto or a protest action in defense of human rights.
