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Vivienne Westwood, the British designer whose punk and new wave-inspired garments made her a fashion icon, has died. She was 81 years old.
The eponymous fashion house of Vivienne Westwood announced her death on social media platforms, saying she died peacefully surrounded by family. The cause of death was not revealed.
"The world needs people like Vivienne to make a positive difference," the fashion house said on Twitter.
Westwood's fashion career began during the punk explosion of the 1970s, when her radical approach to urban street style took the world by storm. She went on to have a successful career that included triumphant runway shows in London, Paris, Milan, and New York.
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| Only the brave entered Vivienne Westwood's shop on the Kings Road. Westwood (far right) is pictured alongside her rather terrifying staff - including Chrissie Hynde (centre) and the legendary Jordan (with blonde beehive) |
Even as her focus shifted from year to year, the name Westwood became synonymous with style and attitude. Her abilities were diverse, and her work was never predictable.
Westwood, who was born on April 8, 1941 in Glossop, England, was a schoolteacher before marrying Derek Westwood in 1962. The couple eventually divorced in 1965.
In 1965, Westwood formed a professional partnership with Malcom McLaren, who rose to prominence as the manager of punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Let It Rock, a secondhand shop that sold 1950s vintage clothing and rock records from McLaren's collection, was their first stop, and they later opened the boutique Seditionaries.
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| Queen of the catwalk. Vivienne Westwood built a global fashion brand and was named as one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. |
Westwood, a self-taught designer, also created clothing based on McLaren's concepts, such as distressed t-shirts emblazoned with "shocking anti-establishment slogans and graphics" and bondage pants inspired by sadomasochistic aesthetics.
Westwood eventually went it alone as a designer, opening several boutiques and producing annual menswear and womenswear collections. She also created bridal gowns, shoes, cosmetics, and perfumes.
Despite the subversive nature of her designs, Westwood frequently drew inspiration from the past, such as historical British dress and the classical art of Jean-Honoré Fragonard, François Boucher, and Thomas Gainsborough.
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| Dua Lipa wearing Vivienne Westwood couture at the 2021 BRIT Awards. (Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images) |
Her runway shows were always the most fashionable events, attracting celebrities from the worlds of film, music, and television. Westwood, on the other hand, spoke out against consumerism and conspicuous consumption, even advising people not to buy her expensive, beautifully crafted clothes.
"I just tell people to stop buying clothes," said Westwood. "Why not safeguard this precious gift of life while we still have it? I don't believe that destruction is unavoidable. Some of us want to put a stop to it and help people survive."
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| Vivienne Westwood at Buckingham Palace, in London, where she received her OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. She is giving a twirl for the photographers, but beneath her tailored suit she wore no knickers. (Photo: Martin Keene - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) |
Westwood's eye-catching style became a pop culture darling in its own right, despite her disdain for consumerism. In 2008's "Sex and the City," Sarah Jessica Parker famously wore a Westwood wedding gown as Carrie Bradshaw, while pop star Rihanna wore a black, silk taffeta corset to the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show in 2011.
Westwood's artistic contributions earned her national recognition in her home country of England, where she was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and Dame Commander in 2006.
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| Vivienne Westwood campaigned on a range of environmental causes. She drove a white tank up to Prime Minister, David Cameron's, constituency home in a protest against fracking. |
As her celebrity grew, her designs appeared to transcend fashion, with pieces in museum collections all over the world. The young woman who had scorned the British establishment rose to become one of its leading lights, and she used her elite status to lobby for environmental reforms while keeping her hair dyed the bright orange that became her trademark.
Westwood is survived by her two sons and her second husband, Austrian-born Andreas Kronthaler.
