In 2007, fashion designer and self-styled queen of punk, Vivienne Westwood, was voted one of Britain’s living icons, final proof, that even the most unconventional figures can become part of the establishment, given enough time and goodwill.
The female face of punk was born Vivienne Swire to working class parents in Glossop, Derbyshire in 1941. A brief stint at art school led to college and a teaching career. She married Derek Westwood and had a son. But after three years of marriage, Vivienne met Malcolm McLaren. The world changed, but not just for Vivienne.
Vivienne Westwood: I think taste is one of the most difficult things in—I think it’s more rare that intelligence, not many people have taste. I think my things survived, I think they're—like on the tightrope, I think at the end it’s a triumph, it works.
For a while, Vivienne continued teaching. But in 1971, she and McLaren opened a shop together in Chelsea’s King’s Road. Let it Rock sold teddy boy gear. But they later opened another place down the road at number 430. Simply known as Sex, it became the outlet of Vivian’s non-conformist creations.
Vivienne Westwood: I don’t know, we just--this idea to take things from the—from sadomasochism from the underworld and put them for everyday. I don’t know, rubber ware for the office, that was our idea. Anyway, and yes, I use to stop the traffic when I used to walk down the street in rubber necklace or fish net tights. Because everybody else was dressed like hippies and it looked really good.
The Sex stall was a magnet for figureheads of the punk movement. Famously, The Sex Pistols auditioned Johnny Rotten there. People like Jordan and Adamant were visitors. And Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders worked there for a while.
The first major retrospective of Vivienne’s work was held at London’s V&A on the National Gallery of Australia. It showcased 145 outfits and is currently touring the world. The designs featured safety pins, dog chains and collars, bondage gear and razor blades, but also more establishment touches like her great fondness for tartan.
Vivienne became famous for ripping up the rulebook when it came to fashion. Her clothing designs were revolutionary and her impact is still felt today. Influences she has adapted includes 17th and 18th Century wear, ethnic Peruvian styles and knitwear.
Vivian has been named the British Designer of the Year three times. She’s also been recognized by her very establishments of punk drive so hard to tear down. In 1992, she was given an OBE, the court headlines when she did a twill for the camera, only revealed she wasn’t wearing anything.
14 years later, in 2006, she received the ultimate British honor when she was made a Dame. The truth have formed, she later admitted that she left the underwear at home on that occasion too.
She may be 66 and a grandmother now but Vivienne clearly has no intention of fading quietly into the night. She still owns the shop at 430 King’s Road, although now it’s called World’s End and she sells her Emblemania line from there. Her love of this adversity and her outspoken condemnation of what she sees as the dumbing down of culture remained as strong today as they had were.
A recent T-shirt range reminded the public of this so that it slipped their minds for a moment. The T-shirts or the topical slogan “I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don’t arrest me”—an icon indeed.
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