A non-conventional women: Vivienne Westwood’s world

by Maurane Vuillaume 

Provocative, innovative, frank, unique and anti-conformist are all adjectives that describe Vivienne Westwood herself, as much as her collections. Vivienne Westwood is a fashion designer known for her engagement, passion and craziness who has, over the years, become an institution in the fashion industry.

At the origin of the punk movement, she is not one to be a hypocrite; what she thinks, she says.

It all started back in 1971 when she and her husband, Malcolm McLaren, opened a boutique in King’s Road, London that has had several names, from “Paradise Garage” to “SEX”. As the names clearly suggest, the outfits are sexual as she believes that fashion is about sex. The boutique and, most importantly, Vivienne’s style attracted a lot of people and were a reference for punks.

                However, she has left the punk movement in the past and has changed direction, whilst still being anti-conformist. Her next collections are inspired by the 18^th century, as she is passionate about the history of costume and from world-wide cultures.  

Despite being anti-conformist and sometimes even shocking, as when she reintroduced the crinoline, she is always widely supported.

However, being an institution did not change her style in any way- she still is the same frank and direct designer who does not care about what people think; she uses tweed, tartan and other emblematic fabrics and styles but always with the derision, she has become iconic for.

Now aged 74 she does not have less of a wild style nor mind. Having seen her at a conference she recently gave at King’s College London for the EcoSoc, she is truly inspiring and passionate. The iconic rebel is now concerned with our environment and is dedicated to changing people’s minds and convincing them that it is time to do something about our degenerating planet. Straight-forward and with no censure, as we know her, she has a website (climaterevolution.co.uk), where she denounces what she calls our “rotten financial system”, which she holds responsible for the deterioration of our environment.

But if her commitment to the environment changed the way she perceives fashion, it did not push her away from the fashion industry. Instead, she has decided not to use any fur in her design and even admitted that she has never used real fur. She once said: “buy well, choose well, make it last”. Vivienne Westwood just released her 2017 ready to wear collection, always with the same passion and dedication that characterizes her.

Vivienne Westwood AW 17/18

Vivienne Westwood AW 17/18