Vivienne Westwood

Dame
Vivienne Westwood
DBE RDI
Westwood in 2008
Born
Vivienne Isabel Swire

(1941-04-08)8 April 1941
Hollingworth, Cheshire, England
Died29 December 2022(2022-12-29) (aged 81)
Clapham, London, England
Alma materUniversity of Westminster
Occupations
  • Primary school teacher[1][2]
  • fashion designer
  • businesswoman
  • activist
LabelVivienne Westwood
Spouses
  • Derek Westwood
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1962; div. 1965)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1967; div. 1980)​
    [3][4]
  • ​
    (m. 1993)​
    [5]
Children2, including Joseph Corré
AwardsBritish Fashion Designer of the Year (1990, 1991, 2006)

Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood DBE RDI (née Swire; 8 April 1941 – 29 December 2022) was an English fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.[6] In 2022, Sky Arts ranked her the 4th most influential artist in Britain of the last 50 years.[7]

Westwood 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 synchronise clothing and music shaped the 1970s UK punk scene, which included McLaren's band, the Sex Pistols. She viewed punk as a way of "seeing if one could put a spoke in the system".[8]

Westwood 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.[9][10]

  1. ^ Andre Rhoden-Paul, Adam Durbin (30 December 2022). "Vivienne Westwood: Tributes for 'Queen of British Fashion' after her death". BBC News. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. ^ Dudbridge, Saxony. "Vivienne Westwood". catwalkyourself.com. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. ^ McDuffee, Allen (30 December 2022). "Inside Vivienne Westwood And Malcolm McLaren's Abusive Relationship". grunge.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  4. ^ Gorman, Paul (30 December 2022). "Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren: The rebellious duo that inspired a generation of punks". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  5. ^ Cooper, Geoff K. (1 October 2019). "Andreas Kronthaler talks marriage to Vivienne Westwood, Brexit and climate change". standard.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  6. ^ Bell-Price, Shannon. "Vivienne Westwood (born 1941) and the Postmodern Legacy of Punk Style Source: Vivienne Westwood (born 1941) and the Postmodern Legacy of Punk Style". Metmuseum.org. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. ^ Graye, Megan (11 August 2022). "50 most influential artists in Britain revealed: David Bowie, Steve McQueen and Russell T Davies among top spots". The Independent. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  8. ^ Adams, William Lee (2 April 2012). "Vivienne Westwood – All-TIME 100 Fashion Icons – TIME". Time. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Our Approach". viviennewestwood.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  10. ^ Kristen, Bateman (8 March 2018). "Vivienne Westwood Is the Original Riot Grrrl". L'Officiel. Retrieved 4 February 2022.