Tracing the Revolutionary Legacy of Fashion’s Rebel Queen, Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood, also known as the ‘Queen of Punk,’ was indeed a groundbreaking figure in fashion. She came to public notice when she made clothes for the boutique that she and Malcolm McLaren ran on King’s Road, which became known as SEX. Their ability to synthesize clothing and music shaped the 1970s UK punk scene​¹​. She opened four shops in London and eventually expanded throughout Britain and the world, selling a varied range of merchandise, some of which promoted her political causes such as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, climate change, and civil rights groups​¹​.

Over the years, Westwood’s designs have evolved, yet they remain rooted in her punk-infused sensibility. Her collections are unflinchingly rooted in her interests and beliefs, whether it is human rights or classical fiction. She debuted her first seminal collection, entitled Pirate, in London in 1981. She launched a menswear collection in Florence in 1990 and was named British Designer of the Year that same year, as well as in 1991​²​.

Westwood’s commitment to activism is as renowned as her design work. She has used her platform to campaign for various causes. For example, in 2013, following the arrest of Chelsea Manning due to the WikiLeaks scandal, Westwood wore a pin with Manning’s face on it, underlined by the word truth, to the Met Gala. She also made headlines for driving a white army tank in front of Prime Minister David Cameron’s house to protest fracking in the U.K​³​.

Her design legacy has made a lasting impression on the fashion industry. Her bold aesthetics, from the punk-inspired, safety-pinned garments of the 1970s to the regal, historic-infused pieces of her later collections, have served as inspiration for many aspiring designers. For instance, she made her mark on the interiors world in 2010 with a selection of new table-cloth designs in support for eco charity Cool Earth​²​.

Westwood’s approach to high fashion has always been unconventional. By injecting elements of rebellion and punk aesthetics into the realm of haute couture, she has continually redefined the parameters of luxury fashion. Her designs exude a bold, edgy aesthetic that blurs the lines between runway fashion and everyday street style. For example, in January 2003 Westwood controversially sent men down her catwalk wearing fake breasts. The models for her autumn/winter 2003 menswear collection wore them underneath cashmere sweaters and polo necks​²​.

Lastly, Westwood has been a pioneer in promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. Her company strives to make quality products that respect people and the planet with every design decision, focusing on four key areas: Gaia, Quality not Quantity, Activism, Culture & Heritage. Westwood encourages her customers to buy less and buy better quality clothes, while creating collections that meet this standard​⁴​. One notable instance of her commitment to sustainable design is her collaboration with Eastpak on a sustainable bag collection crafted from plastic bottles collected from the ocean, launched in November 2022​⁵​.