Vivienne Westwood

The grande dame of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood first gained notoriety in 1971 when she began her short-lived partnership working with soon to be Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Westwood’s early aggressive, punk aesthetic has evolved over time into a more feminine one, often informed by historical costume and old style couture.

Westwood has always approached her work with a sense of irreverence and is known for her gentle parody of Establishment styles. Westwood signatures are many and varied, including pirate boots, mini-crinis, lashing of tweed tartan, Boucher inspired corsets, towering moc-croc platforms and giant, costume like couture gowns. In the new millennium Vivienne Westwood has become the ‘old lady of fashion’, immensely respected yet not quite respectable.