Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer responsible for the 70s punk movement, died in London on December 29 at the age of 81. Since its debut in 1981, it has established itself as a fashion icon and marked a before and after in history by influencing an entire music movement that put the punk subculture on the map. We remember his great contribution to the industry with a recap of his career. Long live the Queen of Punk.
8 winter micro trends that will be everywhere
In an official statement, her family announced: “Vivien continued to design, work on her art, write her book, and work to better the world, until her very last moment. She lived an amazing life. The last 60 years.” His innovation and influence has been enormous and will continue to be in the future.”
Vivian and the 70’s Punk
In 1971 he opened his first Let It Rock store, which he renamed every time he designed a new collection. In 1974 the Sex Store changed fashion in London forever. Under the leadership of Malcolm McLaren, her lover and business partner, she started a new artistic movement that reflected the free spirit of the rebellious society and was in charge of preparing the punk group The Sex Pistols for their next show.
She began experimenting with fetish-wear and other aspects of BDSM, with pins, ripped graphic tees and her trademark tartan, which remains a signature element of all her collections and with her great tailoring skills in pieces such as skirts and her signature corset was connected.
the political side of fashion
The designer was recognized for his activism in favor of the environment, but initially expressed his criticisms against the social structure of England through his shows and collections. In his own words, his job as a designer was to “influence the way people think”.
Each of his collections raised his voice against a climate issue: the “Ecocity” show dealt with renewable energy and called on other luxury brands to switch from fossil fuels to green energy, the S/S17 parade was a protest and in 2011 he donated Gave one million pounds to an association against deforestation.
breaking the gender barrier
Long before the genderless movement in fashion reached its peak, Vivian was already dominating unisex fashion arenas, designing skirts and dresses for men and suits for women. The past was her recurring inspiration and tunics and corsets were usually decorated with motifs that referenced Renaissance art and literature.
