• Home
  • Art & Photography
  • Fashion
  • NMC Live
  • Lifestyle
  • Music
  • Menu
  • Saltar a la navegación principal
  • Saltar al contenido principal
  • Saltar a la barra lateral principal

KLUELESS MAGAZINE

Trends, Art and Photography

  • Home
  • Art & Photography
  • Fashion
  • NMC Live
  • Lifestyle
  • Music

DAME VIVIENNE WESTWOOD – «THE QUEEN OF PUNK»

15 enero, 2023 //  by Giselle Palou

Words By Roslynn McKenzie

Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, RDI: there’s only one way to describe her – «The Queen of Punk».

But where to even begin to describe her talents…? From High School home economics class to studying fashion at University, Vivienne Westwood was one artist who was omni present. Many celebrities – even fashion designers – universally look up to her. Three times British Fashion Designer of the Year. But it didn’t start out like that.

Photography by Rankin Pop magazine’s winter issue in 2003.

Vivienne Westwood had a difficult start; she was the definition of hard work and persevered despite contempt at her variant look on the world. Being a self confessed fashion anarchist, whose aim was to undermine the establishment, she abhorred the values of the older generations, seeking to obliterate them. Then, instead of attacking the system, she started marketing it for change.

Bella Hadid at Vivienne Westwood
Fashion Show in Paris 2022 by Don
Braun
Dua Lipa wears Vivienne Westwood to the 2021 #BRITs Getty images by
David M. Benett
Hailey Bieber wears custom Vivienne
Westwood couture corseted mini dress in ivory Peace Silk 2019 sourced on Vivienne Westwood instagram.

Although most known for being the Queen of Punk, Westwood’s designs fluctuated through the decades, shapeshifting her style, keeping her fans and followers on their toes.

In the documentary «Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist» (2018, Amazon Prime Video) Vivienne Westwood herself mentions that it’s the key to keeping people interested – people expect change ad infinitum. Kate Moss describes it perfectly in the documentary, stating her designs are provocative, beautiful and respectful – it’s hard to imagine that one designer can encompass all these things.

From first coming on the scene in the early 70s with her first boyfriend then husband Malcolm McLaren, Westwood designed Teddy Boy clothes and they opened a small boutique called Let It Rock at 430 Kings Road, Chelsea, London.

Images sourced on The Westwood Archives Instagram

This soon changed to Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die 1972, Marlon Brand-influenced rocker/biker style.

Taken outside 430 Kings Road, Chelsea, London 1976. Image Shutterstock.

When evolving her design, she would change the shop name to fit. After Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die came SEX in 1976. London had never seen anything like it at that time. Selling S&M inspired clothing, at that time Vivienne and Malcolm McLaren were working with the Sex Pistols.

Chrissie Hynde and Jordan and at her boutique, called Sex, 1976 Photo: David Dagley / Shutterstock
Photo by Sheila Rock/REX/Shutterstock

Jumping into 1981 ‘Pirates’

Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s first ever collection to hit the runway. The collection charged with gold, orange, yellows and contrasting blues, that ruptured into the streets of London.

Image sourced from Vivienne Westwood website

In an act of female liberation Vivienne Westwood famously brought back the female corset in 1990 inspired by 18th century paintings. Two models kiss as they wear outfits during a fashion show. Westwood once said in a interview «l play around with the idea of sexuality because I don’t like orthodoxy in any shape or form.» (Westwood).

Sourced by Getty Images

Perhaps the most famous show of all, everyone has heard about model Naomi Campbell falling wearing 6″ heels from the collection.

«Anglomania» 1993/94 collection, Vivivenne Westwood and her partner and designer Andreas Kronthaler designed this collection as you could probably guess in Scotland, using ‘Andreas’ tartan.

2015 «Unisex» – Vivienne and Andreas Kronthaler were one of the first to bring androgynous looks out…making history AGAIN. Dressing men and women in dresses and trousers.

Photos by Vivienne Westwood Gold Label

Her designs were timeless and all meant something in the greater picture, connecting with the human expression. The clothes weren’t necessarily about sexual identity, rather the enjoyment of life itself.

Westwood’s famous pirate boots that have established themselves as collector’s pieces since the 80s.

Pirate boots from the pirate collection
1981, newly posted on Vivienne
Westwood instagram July 12 2021

Westwood’s jewellery especially the pearl necklace, first created in the 1990, the conspicuous symbol cross between sovereign’s orb representing the royal British iconography and the rings of Saturn for outer-space, has become immensely popular in 2021 anew of the Millienials and GenZ . The trend went viral on tiktok with over 73.6m views sourced on tiktok.com, with celebs like Rihanna and again with Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid wearing them.

Dua Lipa after party look for the Brits awards 2021, sourced on Lipa’s instagram.
Rihanna August 2021, image
sourced on Shutterstock

Perhaps the most endearing thing was that she didn’t care about the money – she wanted to make a difference in the world, to «better» the world. She cared deeply for the planet to make it a better place.

Westwood took to the runway to
close her Red Label SSI 3 for a climate revolution. September
2012. Gareth Cattermole – Getty
Images
Vivienne Westwood staged an extrordinry
‘Fash Mob’ on the streets of
London ahead of her SS 16 Red Label show for ‘Climate Revolution’.
David M. Benett – Getty Images

Her global popularity has not decreased. Her contribution and originality to British fashion is mega, as is the legacy she leaves behind.

We can only hope and assume that the fashion world will give her the send off she so implicitly deserves.

Dame Vivienne Westwood 1941 – 2022

Compartir
Twittear
Pin
Compartir
0 Compartir

Categoría: FashionEtiqueta: AndreasKronthaler, KateMoss, NaomiCampbell, SexPistols, Vivienne, VivienneWestwood, Westwood

Entrada anterior: « «BIZARRAP MUSIC SESSIONS #53» – SHAKIRA DISSES GERARD PIQUÉ IN NEW SONG ALONG BIZARRAP
Siguiente entrada: EQUILIBRIUM RECORDS – ARTIST NINOTHAGREAT UPCOMING RELEASE «SZN-1» »

Barra lateral principal

POPULAR

  • EQUILIBRIUM RECORDS – ARTIST NINOTHAGREAT UPCOMING RELEASE «SZN-1»
  • «BIZARRAP MUSIC SESSIONS #53» – SHAKIRA DISSES GERARD PIQUÉ IN NEW SONG ALONG BIZARRAP
  • GROUNDED 1002 – A SOUND THERAPY EXPERIENCE #ROCKWITHCARE
  • DANIEL BLISS, INART & LIL 5IVE – NEW EP «VENDETTA»
  • NEW YORK FASHION WEEK – ERIGO X SS23 COLLECTION

Copyright © 2023 KLUELESS · Web alojada, creada y mantenida por fidelcarrera

Gestionar el Consentimiento de las Cookies

Manage Cookie Consent


We use cookies to optimize our website and our services. For our policies, please visit our Cookie Policy.
Cookies funcionales Siempre activo
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferencias
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Estadísticas
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Administrar opciones Gestionar los servicios Gestionar proveedores Leer más sobre estos propósitos
Ver preferencias
{title} {title} {title}