The British fashion designer is one of the most important designers of the second half of the 20th century. With her provocative and eccentric designs, Vivienne Westwood had a lasting influence on the international fashion world. She made a name for herself with her wild and flashy look. So Westwood created unusual fashion, like cotton candy hairstyles, clothes made of blades of grass and insects or unusual underwear as clothing…
Vivienne Westwood, real name Vivienne Isabel Swires, was born to Gordon Swires and his wife Dora née Ball on April 8, 1941 in Tintwistle, England.
Westwood grew up in a working-class village near Manchester. Already at the age of sixteen she showed an unusual taste for clothes, which did not follow the current fashion trend. In 1958 Westwood moved to London. There she trained as a teacher. She married toolmaker Derek Westwood in 1962. From this union son Benjamin emerged. But the marriage did not last long and Vivienne Westwood separated from her husband. In the mid-1960s she made the acquaintance of art student Malcolm McLaren. He was the head of the pop group “Sex Pistols”. McLaren was a provocative guy. Vivienne Westwood liked that attitude. Malcolm McLaren walked around in green women’s shoes that fluoresced and tight leather trousers. Together they opened a shop in London selling fashion and music. They repeatedly renamed the store and reorganized the range. The offers included fetish goods such as latex underwear, perforated T-shirts or suspenders.
Westwood and McLaren had their son Joseph in 1966. Westwood began designing and making her own clothing for the store. As she had been since early youth, she was a fan of the unusual style of fashion, which did not follow trends. For example, she created clothes with zippers in unusual locations or negligees made of rubber with a pearly sheen. She also made the stage clothes for the members of the “Sex Pistols”. In doing so, she discovered her creative ability to design her own. In 1976 she went public with the fashion name “Punk”. In 1981, Westwood and Malcolm McLaren presented their collection called “Pirates” on the catwalk for the first time. This started the operation of a well-functioning fashion and design workshop. The fashion presentation turned into a real show with small events. With the success of this event, she made the leap into the commercial fashion industry.
From then on, Westwood consistently pursued her career as a fashion designer. She split from Malcolm McLaren. The connection initially remained an employment relationship, which then dissolved completely in 1983. In the same year she made the acquaintance of Carlo D’Amario, who promoted her as a fashion designer and her company. Such was his support that without him Westwood would not have reached the fashion industry prominence she did. Westwood left England and moved to Italy. There she entered into a cooperation with the fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Meanwhile, Westwood represented a youthful and colorful line. After moving back to London in 1986 and filing for bankruptcy, she opened another fashion business with the help of her son Joseph and her mother. In 1989 Westwood accepted a professorship for fashion at the Vienna University of Applied Arts. There she made the acquaintance of the much younger Andreas Kronthaler, whom she married in 1992.
Over time, Westwood also gained the desired recognition as a fashion designer internationally. International awards recognize her successful work. For example, in 1991 and 1992 she received the “British Designer of the Year” award and also in 1992 the “Order of the British Empire”. Also in 1992, Westwood accepted a teaching position as a professor of fashion at the University of the Arts in Berlin. In 1997 the British fashion designer was awarded the prize for outstanding export achievements. The following year, her first line of fragrances came onto the market. Her collections are sold internationally. It was a great success, especially in Japan. In June 2004, Vivienne Westwood received the “World Fashion Award” from Mikhail Gorbachev at the “World Woman’s Awards” in Hamburg. In June 2006, Prince Charles awarded her the title of “Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire” (DBE). In 2015 she was honored with the Peta UK Vegan Fashion Award and in 2019 with the Taurus European Culture Prize.
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What is Vivienne Westwood famous for?
Vivienne Westwood, in full Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood, née Vivienne Isabel Swire, (born April 8, 1941, Glossop, Derbyshire, England), British fashion designer known for her provocative clothing. With her partner, Malcolm McLaren, she extended the influence of the 1970s punk music movement into fashion.
What is Vivienne Westwood’s most famous design?
The Mini-Crini, designed for a collection of the same name in 1985, combines the construction of the Victorian crinoline with the modern mini-skirt. The bell-like skirt offers a cheeky reworking of one of the 19th-century’s most famous garments, and became one of Westwood’s most iconic looks.
Is Vivienne Westwood luxury brand?
Vivienne Westwood – Similar to Raf Simons or Undercover’s Jun Takahashi, Vivienne Westwood is also one of the representatives of luxury fashion with punk influences.
What is Vivienne Westwood’s real name?
Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire, in 1941 and has come to be known as one of the most influential British fashion designers of the twentieth century.
