Vivienne westwood biography summary example

Westwood rose to fame in the late s when her early designs helped construct the punk subculture. At the age of 17, Westwood's family moved to Harrow where the future star worked at a local factory, subsequently enrolling at a teacher training school. She married Derek Westwood at age 21, with whom she had son, Ben, and continued to work as a teacher.

The marriage dissolved and she met Sex Pistols manager and fellow punk pioneer Malcolm Mclaren. The designer is one of the most iconic and referenced in history, and the story of how she began her namesake label is steeped in cultural importance. Influenced by acts of rebellion and typical s clothing, music, and memorabilia, a young Vivienne Westwood and her then partner Malcolm McLaren manager of the Sex Pistols opened a small boutique called Let it Rock subsequently SEX at number Kings Road, Chelsea in London in The style was a complete departure from the popular hippie fashion movement that was trending at the time.

The shop then reopened as Seditionaries, transforming the straps and zips of obscure sexual fetishism and bondage into fashion, and inspiring a D. Vivienne's clothes were perfect for the youth trend: bondage trousers, slashed shirts and provocative God Save The Queen T-shirts. Westwood's marriage to Derek ended after she met Malcolm McLaren. McLaren became manager of the punk band the Sex Pistolsand subsequently the two garnered attention as the vivienne westwood biography summary example wore Westwood's and McLaren's designs.

Westwood was one of the architects of the punk fashion phenomenon of the s, saying "I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way". Westwood's boutique, originally managed with McLaren, was a meeting place for early members of the London punk scene. The boutique regularly changed names and interior design through the s to fit with collections and design inspirations.

It remains in its original location at Kings Road, Chelsea, London under the name Worlds End sincefollowing a short period of closure in the s to this day. McLaren and Westwood were keen entrepreneurs, and their designs sold in their boutique — named Let It RockToo Fast To Live Too Young To DieSexand subsequently Seditionares — helped to define and market the punk look at the exact moment that it exploded in popularity on the streets of London.

Initially, Westwood created garments referencing the dress of the s Teddy Boys, which were worn by McLaren. Upon opening Let It Rock inthe first incarnation of Westwood and McLaren's boutique, early creations for the shop incorporated such influences reminiscent of the youth subculture fashions of the s. Two years later, inWestwood and McLaren's boutique was re-modelled, and reopened as Sex.

Pieces sold in Sex were intentionally abrasive and challenging, with designs grounded in fetish and sado-masochism, seeking to provoke a comfortable middle class and inspire young punks into political action by challenging the status quo. Sex became a meeting point at the centre of the punk scene, and transformed into Seditionaries in Clothing retailed at Seditionaries Seditionaries: Clothes for Heroes retained the familiar references of Sex, including historicism, the challenging of gender norms, and fetish.

Westwood also inspired the style of punk icons, such as Viv Albertinewho wrote in her memoir, "Vivienne and Malcolm use clothes to shock, irritate and provoke a reaction but also to inspire change. Mohair jumpers, knitted on big needles, so loosely that you can see all the way through them, T-shirts slashed and written on by hand, seams and labels on the outside, showing the construction of the piece; these attitudes are reflected in the music we make.

It's OK to not be perfect, to show the workings of your life and your mind in your songs and your clothes. Westwood was disenchanted with the direction that adoptees had taken punk in, many of them uninterested in punk's political values, viewing the style of the movement as a marketing opportunity instead of a medium for radical change; with the dissolution of the Sex Pistols, Westwood's inspiration for her eponymous line shifted instead to the 18th century.

Westwood's designs were independent and represented a statement of her own values. She collaborated on occasion with Gary Ness, who assisted Westwood with inspirations and titles for her collections. McLaren and Westwood's first fashion collection to be shown to the media and potential international buyers was Piratecombining 18th and 19th century dress, British history and textiles with African prints.

She dubbed the period —85 "New Romantic" during which time she created the famous look of the band Adam and the Ants [ 36 ] and —91 as "The Pagan Years" during which "Vivienne's heroes changed from punks and ragamuffins to Tatler girls wearing clothes that parodied the upper class". From toWestwood took inspiration from the ballet Petrushka to design the mini-crini, an abbreviated version of the Victorian crinoline.

The collection is often credited as being instrumental in reviving its use as a fashion fabric, thereby boosting the local industry. In the collection, she had also adopted the use of the Orb logo, an orb resembling the Sovereign's Orb with a satellite ring around it like the one around Saturn. Following her death, The Harris Tweed Authority released the following statement: [ 40 ].

We hope and expect that collaboration will continue for many years to come. InWestwood was approached by the Chair of King's College LondonPatricia Rawlingsto design an academic gown for the college after it had successfully petitioned the Privy Council for the right to award degrees. On the gowns, Westwood commented: "Through my reworking of the traditional robe I tried to link the past, the present and the future.

We are what we know. Westwood worked closely with Richard Branson to design uniforms for the Virgin Atlantic crew. The uniform for the female crew consisted of a red suit, which accentuated the women's curves and hips, and had strategically placed darts around the bust area. The men's uniform consisted of a grey and burgundy three-piece suit with details on the lapels and pockets.

Westwood and Branson were both passionate about using sustainable materials throughout their designs to reduce the vivienne westwood biography summary example on the environment and so used recycled polyester. In MarchVivienne Westwood Group reached agreement to end a long-standing UK franchise relationship with Manchester -based Hervia, which operated seven stores for the fashion chain.

The deal brought to a conclusion a legal dispute, which included Hervia issuing High Court proceedings for alleged breach of contractafter Westwood sought to end the franchise deal before the agreed term. The next year, the company announced: "Over the last year margins have been under pressure due to the nature of wider retail conditions.

Shortly after, Westwood announced she would cease further expansion of her business as a way of tackling environmental and sustainability issues. In Marchthe company announced that it would open a three-story outpost in midtown Manhattan in New York City. After examining the deal, HMRC argued that the brand had been undervalued. I am subject to UK tax on all of my income".

Insustainable luxury fashion publication Eluxe Magazine accused Westwood of using the green movement as a marketing tool because some of Westwood's fashion and accessories lines are made in the People's Republic of China. These were found to include PVCpolyesterrayon and viscoseall derived from harmful chemicals. Eluxe accused Westwood of using unpaid interns in her fashion house and making them work over 40 hours per week and wrote that some interns complained about their treatment by the fashion house.

InWestwood designed many of the colorful suits and outfits Duran Duran wore during their tour for The Wedding Album, as well as those that appeared in the three videos for that album: "Ordinary World", "Come Undone" and "Too Much Information". Dita Von Teese wore a purple Westwood gown for her formal wedding ceremony when she married Marilyn Manson in Marion Cotillard wore a Westwood red satin strapless dress at the London premiere of her film Public Enemies in InPrincess Eugenie wore three Westwood designs for the pre-wedding dinner, the wedding ceremony and the after-wedding party at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Pharrell Williams wore a Westwood Buffalo hat that was originally in Westwood's —83 collection to the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. The hat was so popular that it inspired its own Twitter account. Williams was first seen wearing a similar Westwood Buffalo hat in Dua Lipa wore custom Westwood on the red carpet of the Brit Awards. Westwood's designs were featured in the film adaptation of the television series Sex and the City.

In the film, Carrie Bradshaw becomes engaged to long-term lover Mr. Being a writer at Vogueshe is invited by her editor to model wedding dresses, including a design made by Westwood. The dress is subsequently sent to Carrie as a gift, with a handwritten note from Westwood herself, and Carrie decides to use the Westwood gown. The wedding dress has also been described as one of the movie's most iconic features, leading Westwood to approach the producers about being involved in making a sequel.

It was available as a knee-length version. The suit that Westwood wore had been ordered for Thatcher but not yet delivered. She said she was supporting the campaign and defending habeas corpus. Scott, began to take classes in civic affairs.

Vivienne westwood biography summary example

The first thing he explained to us was the fundamental rule of law embodied in habeas corpus. He spoke with pride of civilisation and democracy. The hatred of arbitrary arrest by the lettres de cachet of the French monarchy caused the storming of the Bastille. We can only take democracy for granted if we insist on our liberty", she said. Westwood stated on television in that she had transferred her long-standing support for the Labour Party to the Conservativesdue to concerns about civil liberties and human rights.

On Easter Sundayshe campaigned in person at the biggest Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demonstration in ten years, at the Atomic Weapons EstablishmentAldermastonBerkshire. The next year, she cut off her hair to highlight the dangers of climate change. InWestwood bought a controlling interest in the equity crowdfunding platform Trillion Fundwhich was dissolved in In JanuaryWestwood stated her support of the Green Party : "I am investing in the Green Party because I believe it is in the best interests of our country and our economy".

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Golden Globes Emilia Perez wins four awards. Receive the latest Luxury Lifestyle news. Instagram Facebook Linkedin. Subscribe to receive Luxus Magazine at home at reduced prices! I subscribe. Pre-order available. I order. While the name of the shop seemed to be in constant flux — it was changed five times — it proved to be an important fashion center for the punk movement.

When Mclaren became the manager of the Sex Pistols, it was Westwood's designs that dressed the band and help it carve out its identity. But as the punk movement faded, Westwood was hardly content to rest on her laurels. She's constantly been ahead of the curve, not just influencing fashion, but often times dictating it. After her run with the Sex Pistols, Westwood went an entirely new direction with her Pirate collection of frilly shirts and other attire.

Her styles have also included the mini-crini of the s and the frayed tulle and tweed suit of the s. She's even proved it's perfectly possible to make a subversive statement with underwear. Coupled with Westwood's unconventional style sense, is an outspokenness and daring that demonstrates a certain level of fearlessness about her and her work.

In one famous incident, she impersonated Margaret Thatcher on the cover of a British magazine. To do so, she wore a suit Thatcher had ordered but not yet received, an act that made Thatcher irate. Still, Westwood's influence is hard to deny.