FASHION

"SHOCK & CONQUER"

Vivienne Westwood is Britain's most innovative fashion designer. She combines colors and patterns in radical ways that are sexy and modern. She introduced bare midriffs, corsets, bras worn outside dresses and sweaters, multiple straps and suspenders, slashed t-shirts, fake fur knickers, clashing tartans and checkered knitwear.

Westwood was born in Glossop, Derbyshire in 1941 and moved to London at the age of 17. In 1966, she met the impresario Malcolm McLaren. Her work in the mid-Seventies with McLaren, manager of The Sex Pistols, made her name tantamount with punk.  In 1971 she began her career designing clothes at their shop, known as SEX; introducing sadomasochistic leather and rubber bondage gear, latex lounge dresses and t-shirts with pornographic references.

In 1977 SEX, was renamed Seditionaries.  In 1979 Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols died of a drug overdose, and the group disbanded. In 1980, Seditionaries was renamed World's End.  When McLaren wanted to give it up, Westwood held onto it and began to design her own label. Her interest in 18th century paintings by Watteau, Gainsborough, Gericault, Corot and Boucher, greatly influenced her designs.  She introduced Scarlett O'Hara gowns, netted petticoats, hour glass figures and pelvis-skimming micro-chrinoline skirts.  Historical interpretation became her trademark.

She has potent views when it comes to art: "I'm left with having to make the bold statement that culture is extinct. This fact is disguised and complicated by the existence of an art scene that is really a branch of publicity and commerce, and by the proliferation of substitutes for art - eg, cinema. Living in such a cultural void, perhaps fashion has become more noticed."

Westwood presented, The Pirates, her first collection in 1981. In 1982, she began showing in Paris.  Forever unpredictable; she cast the critics to the wind and stayed focused. Her hugely successful company boasts four Vivienne Westwood labels - the Gold Label, the Red Label, Man and Anglomania. 

"Fashion is very important. It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well".

by Kyoko Ito