Vivienne Westwood - Fashion Designer | Designers | The FMD Vivienne Westwood A word from the EIC Partnerships / Cooperations Become a fashion editor on FMD Content / Usage Questions Why am I listed on FMD? How can I submit content? Credifair (credit for your work) DMCA + Content MGMT the pure fashion news agency January 12th Meet Ify Jones, our January 2017 Model of the Month Priyanka Chopra is the new face of Pantene Gigi Hadid strips down for Stuart Weitzman Spring Campaign DKNY pulls out of New York Fashion Week Bulgari: Create a History with Jewels January 2017 About the designers Vievienne Westwood, born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Tintwhistele, was born on April 8, 1941. Her father was a shoemaker and her mother a cotton weaver. She is an English fashion designer largely responsible for modern punk and New Wave music new wave fashions. Linked with the Sex Pistols via Malcolm McLaren & their ï¿½Sexï¿½ boutique on Kingï¿½s Road, in London during the 1970s.

When she was seventeen, her parents bought a post office and moved to London. There Vivienne went to a teacher training college and then taught at a primary school in North London. She met her first husband Derek Westwood in 1962 and married him. They had a son Ben. Their marriage lasted three years before she met Malcolm McLaren who became her partner in fashion as well as live, later known for being the manager for punk band The Sex Pistols. Westwood and McLaren had a son named Joseph, and Vievienne continued to teach until 1971, when Malcolm decided to open a shop, ï¿½Sexï¿½, and this is where Vivienne began to sell her outrageous designs. Another shop was open in the same year together with McLaren, she started up a shop called ï¿½Let it Rockï¿½ on Londonï¿½s trendy Kings Road. She spent all nicht stitching rock-inspired clothes, visiting punk clubs and grunge bars. During this period, Westwood, McLaren, and Jamie Reid were influenced by the Situationists. The punk style came to life when the Sex Pistols wore clothes form Westwood and McLarenï¿½s shop at their first gig.

The ï¿½punk styleï¿½ included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars that were used as jewellery as well as the outrageous make-up and hair. Together, Vivienne and McLaren revolutionised fashion and the impact is still felt today. In 1980 there was a change of name to ï¿½Worldï¿½s Endï¿½ and Vivienne introduced her Pirate collection, including frilly shirts and romantic swashbuckling styles. Vivienneï¿½s first runway show was the Pirate collection in London, March 1981. Her design style had evolved so that her main interests included not only the youth and street culture but also tradition and technique. Vivienne worked historical factors into her collection by using historical 17th-18th century original cutting principles and modernising them. This collection was all about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'. 1982 She introduced the first collection in her own name which proved very popular. Her collections were called Buffalo, Savage, and Punkature.

1983 She gave a fashion show in Paris, the first British designer to do so since Mary Quant in the 60's. People remember it as one of the best shows ever, but chic Parisiennes were horrified by the riotous behaviour and punky London garments. The collection was called "Punkature". Her relationship with McLaren ended and her shops closed but her talent could not be kept down. She opened a studio in London's Camden area, a 19 km bicycle ride from her modest apartment in South London. 1984 Her collection was called Hypnos, the first sports collection with fluorescent fabrics on the catwalk. 1985 Vivienne Westwood based her collection on Clint Eastwood, the film star. 1985 She launched her "mini-crini" a very short crinoline design, which took off like a rocket. 1992 She was awarded an O.B.E. and went to receive it from the Queen in a see-through blouse, and a skirt which when swirled around displayed her lack of underwear. She shocked the world. 2000 Vivienne Westwood has become the "old lady of fashion" not yet completely respectable, but yet respected.

In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs. In honour of her 34 year career as well as her 63rd birthday, the Victoria and Albert Costume Institute in London is holding a retrospective of Vivienne's great clothes from April to July 2004. She has moulded modern attitude to the female form all her life and this is the chance to view many of her pioneering styles. A book has also been published of the clothes shown at the exhibition. Vivienne's third husband is Andreas Kronthaler, born in 1966, and so 25 years younger than she is. However, it appears to be a very happy match and she credits him with having a wonderful influence on her life and creativity. the label She has the ï¿½Gold Labelï¿½ - her demi couture line of ready-to-wear and made to measure pieces, ï¿½Red Labelï¿½ - her sassy tailoring, knits and shirts and ï¿½Manï¿½, her menswear line. Together they have a turnover of 20 million pounds per year.

She supplies 550 stores in 30 countries which is all solely owned by Vivienne herself. Her managing director is carlo D'Amario. Her son Joe Corre operates her World's End Shop, and has turned it into a lucrative label. He assists her with all the chores she has to manage to keep her empire operating. He also owns the lingerie label Agent Provocateur. The Look Vivienne Westwood is fashion's chief architect of revolt. She was once queen of punk and is no stranger to the forms of sabotage that can pave the way for the next upheaval in style or taste. Her clothes are revolutionary and controversial. Her designs include intentionally twisted seams, intentionally badly cut clothes, designs intended to shock, deliberate contradictions of colour. She ignores conventional fashion directions and goes her own way. She is queen of the original: bustiers, mens kilts, cone-shaped bras as day wear; classical paintings on underwear; the mini crinoline, fake fur trains, woolly royal crowns and so on. Surprisingly, other well-known designers have lavished praise on Vivienne. Rei Kawakubo, the famous Japanese designer says "I think Vivienne's means of expression is profound.

Her way of smashing tradition to create something totally new, is wonderful". Perfumes 1998 Boudoir(W)(The bottle is her signature ORB shape.) 2000 Libertine(W) Vivienne Westwood Fashion Designer | Vivienne Westwood Biography, Information, Videos, News and the Latest Runway Collections. Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire on 8th April 1941. At the age of 17 Vivienne and her family moved to London. She began designing in 1971, along with her partner Malcolm McLaren, when London was at the forefront of cultural trends. The showcase for their ideas and designs was the shop at 430 Kings Road, London. With her changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop, but the entire decor as well. In 1971, 430 King"s Road was known as Let It Rock ". 1950"s Rock?n?Roll records and clothing were sold at a time when �hippies? were the fashion and Rock?n?Roll music was rarely heard on British Radio.

In 1972, the name was changed to Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die ". The shop had clothing with zips and chains, T shirts with slogans, and Zoot suits. Sex "was the shop"s new name in 1974; it sold rubberwear for the office, leather bondage, T shirts with zips, holes, situationist slogans, and pornographic images. With 1976 came punk and Seditionaries "followed by World"s End " which remains its name to this day. By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant garde and in Autumn/Winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. In October 1982, Vivienne Westwood began to show in Paris, the first British designer to do so since Mary Quant. She opened a second shop in London called Nostalgia of Mud ", which closed at the end of 1984, and co incided with the end of her collaboration with Malcolm McLaren.

In autumn 1984, Vivienne Westwood was invited to show her collection in Tokyo with Hanae Mori, Calvin Klein, Claude Montana, and Gianfranco Ferre at the best of five ". 1984 was also a very important year for Vivienne as it marked a radical change of direction. Street style and youth culture ceased to play a major part of her world. She now finds inspiration in traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, British fabrics and 17th and 18th century art. The orb logo that was first used around this time perfectly symbolized taking tradition in to the future ". In 1989 Mr. John Fairchild, president of Fairchild publications and editor of the fashion bible Women"s Wear Daily, in his book chic savages ", listed Vivienne as one of the six most influential designers in the world. Vivienne has always included menswear within her womenswear collections, but in July 1990 Vivienne showed her first complete menswear collection in conjunction with Pitti Uomo in Florence. In that year Vivienne Westwood was awarded the prestigious title of British designer of the year.

In January 1991, Vivienne Westwood was chosen to show in Tokyo once again, this time alongside Christian Lacroix, Isaac Mizrahi, and Francesco Moschino at the Fashion Summit. Vivienne was again awarded British Designer of the year in 1992. 1993 brought the division of her womenswear label in to two different lines: Gold Label ", selling couture, and Red Label "the pret � porter line. Man "her independent menswear line was first shown, to International acclaim, in 1996 during Collezioni Uomo in Milan. In 1998 Vivienne launched a new line Anglomania "for men and women in order to complete the Westwood universe and meet a younger and more casual demand. In the same year Vivienne Westwood launched her first fragrance Boudoir "to be accompanied in 1999 by the bodyline Les Coquetteries ". Vivienne began designing a complete range of eyewear, both sunglasses and optical, for wold wide distribution.

Libertine "Vivienne"s second fragrance was launched From 2002 to present day, Vivienne Westwood has opened more stores in Italy, Russia, Japan, Korea and China. A third fragrance Anglomania was launched in 2004 and the same year saw the V&amp;A host a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate 34 years in fashion the largest exhibition ever hosted by a living British fashion designer, which is now touring the world. Vivienne Westwood is now both recognized as a global brand and Vivienne herself one of the most influential fashion designers in the world. In 2006, her contribution towards British Fashion was officially recognized when she was appointed a Dame. In 2007 VW ltd. launches two new fragrances, Boudoir Sin Garden and Let it rock. The same year Anglomania is shown at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week in Berlin and the Vivienne Westwood Retrospective exhibition opens in San Francisco in March and in Milan in September. Vivienne Westwood in 2007 is also rewarded with the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London.

CHRONOLOGY 1941 Vivienne Isabel Swire born on 8th April in Glossop, Derbyshire 1957 Moves with her family to London 1962 Marries Derek Westwood aged 21 1963 Her first son, Benjamin Arthur Westwood is born 1965 Marriage to Westwood ends. Meets 18 year old Malcolm Edwards (akaMcLaren) 1967 With McLaren a second son is born, Joseph Ferdinand Corre 1971 Opens first shop with McLaren at 430 Kings Road called �Let it Rock? 1972 The shop is redesigned and renamed �Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die? 1974 Shop name is changed to �Sex? 1976 Shop name is changed to �Seditionaries? 1979 Shop name is changed to �World"s End? (its current name) 1984 With McLaren opens second shop �Nostalgia of Mud? Collaboration and relationship with McLaren ends Shows collection in Tokyo alongside �Best of five?

1986 Carlo D?Amario is appointed as Managing Director of Vivienne Westwood 1989 named one of the six most influential designers in John Fairchild"s book �Chic 1990 The Vivienne Westwood shop at 6 Davies Street, in London"s Mayfair, is opened in December, where the Gold Label collection is sold. Awarded Designer of the Year at The British fashion council awards March, ITV"s flagship arts program, The South Bank Show, air a One hour profile of Vivienne Westwood. She is the first fashion designer to be featured on the program. September, BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a �special? that allows Vivienne to interview eminent figures in the museum world to highlight the fact that the stagnation of museums and galleries is a direct influence of Government policy. Appointed Professor of Fashion at Vienna Academy of Applied Arts First complete menswear collection shown in Pitti Uomo in Florence 1991 Awarded Designer of the Year for second time at The British fashion council awards 1992 Vivienne Westwood is made an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art. Shop opens at 43 Conduit Street, London Creates a watch design called �Putti?

for Swatch. Chargers at CAPC Musee d?art, Bordeaux, France, sponsor a retrospective show of her life"s work in November. Following a listing in the Birthday Honours issued by Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, presents Vivienne Westwood with an O.B.E. in December. Vivienne introduces Wedding gowns to her spring/summer collection The Salon ". Gowns are made to order. Unlike most designers, Vivienne does not restrict herself to white and ivory. Vivienne Westwood marries Andreas Kronthaler who she met whilst teaching in Vienna. 1993 Vivienne creates her own tartan for the Anglomania line (Autumn/Winter 1993/94) and invents her own clan MacAndreas ". The Lochcarron of Scotland officially recognizes the clan. This process of recognition normally takes 200 years. Appointed Proffessor of Fashion at the Berliner Hochschule der K�nste. Designs second watch for Swatch called �Orb? 1994 Westwood wins the first Institute of Contemporary Art Award for outstanding Contribution to Contemporary culture. Designs �Ancien Regime?

costumes in carpet to celebrate the founding in 1783 of the carpet company Brintons 1996 January, The �Man? label, the menswear line is launched in Milan Three part channel 4 series, �Painted Ladies? is broadcast in Spring 1998 Vivienne Westwood Ltd is awarded the Queen"s Award for Export in Vivienne Westwood launches her debut fragrance, Boudoir, developed in conjunction with world famous �nose?, Martin Gras of Dragoco. My perfume is called Boudoir. A boudoir is a dressing room and a place to get undressed. It signifies a woman"s space, a place where she is on intimate terms with herself, where she sees her faults and her potential ". Vivienne Westwood is the first designer to be honoured at the Mo�t &amp; Chandon Fashion Tribute. This highly prestigious annual event, held in conjunction with the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, honors a leading light from the world of fashion whose creativity and vision of the way we dress has had a profound influence on our lifestyle.

1999 The Red Label is launched in New York in February coinciding with the opening of a first US store on Greene Street New York Accessories lines are introduced including the eyewear collection and the Coquetteries body and bath line 2000 The museum of London holds the exhibition �Vivienne Westwood: the collection of Romilly McAlpine? from 7th April to 25th June The second fragrance, �Libertine? is launched in Europe. 2001 Launch of official web site Related Topics Best Fall Fashion Trends For 2012 For Fall 2012 designers are inspired by a wide range of influences, from the elaborate details of brocade and metallic gold embellishments to the dynamic mix of military chic and power pantsuits. Colo By Courtney Lynne I am an analyst by profession and researching is my passion. I also love to share my knowledge. Contact me on Google + and Twitter . Find us on Google+ Advertisement Watteau evening dress, Vivienne Westwood, 1996. Museum no. T.438:1 to 4-1996. Given by the designer.

1941 Vivienne Isabel Swire born on April 8th in Glossop, Derbyshire. 1957 Moves with her family to London, aged 17, and attended Harrow Art School for one term. 1962 Marries Derek Westwood. Aged 21, becomes a primary-school teacher in Willesden, North London. 1963 Her first son, Benjamin Arthur Westwood, is born. 1965 Marriage to Westwood ends. She meets 18 year old Malcolm Edwards (aka McLaren). 1967 With McLaren, a second son is born, Joseph Ferdinand Corré 1971 McLaren and Westwood's first shop opens at 430 King's Road, London, called 'Let It Rock'. 1972 The shop is redesigned and renamed by McLaren 'Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die'. 1974 Shop name is changed to 'SEX'. 1975 Westwood and McLaren are fined for 'exposing to public view an indecent exhibition'. 1976 430 King's Road is renamed 'Seditionaries - Clothes for Heroes'.

1979 'World's End' opens at 430 King's Road. 1981 March: McLaren and Westwood's first catwalk show, the Pirate collection (A/W 1981-2), shown at Olympia followed by Savage (S/S 1982). 1982 Buffalo (A/W 1982-3) and Punkature (S/S 1983) shown in Paris. Westwood and McLaren open a second London shop called 'Nostalgia of Mud'. 1984 'Nostalgia of Mud' closes. Westwood moves to Italy. Invitation to show the Hypnos collection (S/S 1984) in Tokyo at Hanae Mori's 'Best of Five' global fashion awards, with Calvin Klein, Claude Montana and Gianfranco Ferre. Deal with Giorgio Armani announced. 1987 Westwood designs the Statue of Liberty corset as part of Harris Tweed (A/W 1987-8). It is the first corset to be introduced into outerwear.

1989 November: Westwood's name appears in a list of the world's top six designers in John Fairchild's book Chic Savages (1989), along with Armani, Lagerfield, Saint Laurent, Lacroix and Ungaro. 1989-1991 Appointed Professor of Fashion at Vienna Academy of Applied Arts. 1990 First complete menswear collection, Cut and Slash (S/S 1991) shown in conjuntion with Pitti Uomo in Florence. December: The Vivienne Westwood shop opens at 6 Davies Street, in London's Mayfair. It sells the Gold Label collection. Westwood is the first fashion designer to be profiled on London Weekend Television's arts programme, 'The South Bank Show'. 1990 and 1991 Awarded Fashion Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council. 1991 Chosen to show in the Tokyo Fashion Summit, alongside Christian Lacroix, Isaac Mizrahi and Franco Moschino. Leotard, Vivienne Westwood, 1984. Museum no. T.238-1991.

Given by David Barber, in memory of Rupert Michael Dolan 1992 Wedding Gowns introduced to the collections. Westwood is made Honorary Senior Fellow of the Royal College of Art. Shop opens 43 Conduit Street, London. Westwood creates a watch design called 'Putti' for Swatch. Exhibits at Musée d'Art, Bordeaux, France. Awarded an O.B.E by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Westwood marries Andreas Kronthaler whom she met whilst teaching in Vienna. 1993 Appointed Professor of Fashion at the Berliner Hochschule der Künste. Designs 'Orb', a second watch for Swatch. Westwood commissions her own tartan 'Mac Andreas' for the Anglomania Collection, as a tribute to her husband. It appears in the records of the official Lochcarron Museum. 1994 Invitation by Littlewoods catalogue to design a mail-order range. May: Westwood wins the first Institute of Contemporary Art Award for outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Culture. Designs Ancien Régime costumes in carpet to celebrate the founding in 1783 of the carpet company Brintons.

1996 Westwood's menswear label 'Man', is launched in January in Milan. Spring: The three-part Channel 4 series, Painted Ladies, is broadcast. 1998 Debut fragrance, Boudoir, is launched. Vivienne Westwood Ltd awarded the Queen's Award for Export in recognition of the company's growing export market. 1999 The Red Label is launched in the United States in February, coinciding with the opening of Westwood's first shop in New York. Accessories lines are introduced including the Eyewear collection and the 'Coquetteries' Body and bath line. 2000 The Museum of London holds the exhibition 'Vivienne Westwood: the collection of Romilly McAlpine' from 7 April to 25 June 2000. A second fragrance, Libertine, is launched in Europe. 2001 Vivienne Westwood is the first designer to be honoured at the Moët & Chandon Fashion Tribute held at the V&A. 2002 February: Shop opens in Hong Kong, followed by accessories shop in August. 2003 June: Awarded the UK fashion export Award for Design. September: Shop opens in Milan.

October: Shop opens in Liverpool. 2004 Vivienne Westwood retrospective opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 2006 Westwood advanced from OBE to Dame by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This is an updated version of a chronology originally written in association with the exhibition 'Vivienne Westwood: A Retrospective', on display at the V&A South Kensington 1 April–11 July 2004. London Fashion Week - Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Tel: +44 (0) 20 7287 7108 Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood began designing in 1971 along with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in London. At the time they used their shop at 430 Kings Road, London, to showcase their ideas and designs. With their changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop but also the décor. It was in 1976 when Westwood and McLaren defined the street culture of Punk with Seditionaries.

By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde and for autumn/winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. Westwood then turned to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, using British fabrics and 17th and 18th Century art for inspiration. 1989 was the year that Vivienne met Andreas Kronthaler, who would later become her husband and long-time design partner, as well as Creative Director of the brand. In 2004 the V&A hosted a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 34 years in fashion – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer. In 2006, her contribution to British Fashion was officially recognised when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2007 was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London. Vivienne Westwood is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world. At times thought-provoking, this brand is about more than producing clothes and accessories.

Westwood continues to capture the imagination, and raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues. With a design record spanning over forty years, Vivienne Westwood is now recognised as a global brand and Westwood herself as one of the most influential fashion designers, and activists, in the world today. Contact details British Fashion Council For a list of international stockists, please visit Social Media Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood began designing in 1971 along with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in London. At the time they used their shop at 430 Kings Road, London, to showcase their ideas and designs. With their changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop but also the décor. It was in 1976 when Westwood and McLaren defined the street culture of Punk with Seditionaries. By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde and for autumn/winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. Westwood then turned to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, using British fabrics and 17th and 18th Century art for inspiration.

1989 was the year that Vivienne met Andreas Kronthaler, who would later become her husband and long-time design partner, as well as Creative Director of the brand. In 2004 the V&A hosted a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 34 years in fashion – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer. In 2006, her contribution to British Fashion was officially recognised when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2007 was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London. Vivienne Westwood is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world. At times thought-provoking, this brand is about more than producing clothes and accessories. Westwood continues to capture the imagination, and raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues. With a design record spanning over forty years, Vivienne Westwood is now recognised as a global brand and Westwood herself as one of the most influential fashion designers, and activists, in the world today. Contact details Biography Vivienne Westwood began designing in 1971 along with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in London.

At the time they used their shop at 430 Kings Road, London, to showcase their ideas and designs. With their changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop but also the décor. It was in 1976 when Westwood and McLaren defined the street culture of Punk with Seditionaries. By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde and for autumn/winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. Westwood then turned to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, using British fabrics and 17th and 18th Century art for inspiration. 1989 was the year that Vivienne met Andreas Kronthaler, who would later become her husband and long-time design partner, as well as Creative Director of the brand. In 2004 the V&A hosted a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 34 years in fashion – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer.

In 2006, her contribution to British Fashion was officially recognised when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2007 was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London. Vivienne Westwood is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world. At times thought-provoking, this brand is about more than producing clothes and accessories. Westwood continues to capture the imagination, and raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues. With a design record spanning over forty years, Vivienne Westwood is now recognised as a global brand and Westwood herself as one of the most influential fashion designers, and activists, in the world today. Dame Vivienne Westwood | British fashion designer | Britannica.com British fashion designer Alternative Title: Vivienne Isabel Swire Dame Vivienne Westwood Phoebe Philo Dame Vivienne Westwood, née Vivienne Isabel Swire (born April 8, 1941, Glossop, Derbyshire, Eng.), British fashion designer known for her provocative clothing. With her partner, Malcolm McLaren , she extended the influence of the 1970s punk music movement into fashion.

She was a schoolteacher before she married Derek Westwood in 1962 (divorced 1965). A self-taught designer, in 1965 Westwood met and moved in with McLaren, future manager of the punk band the Sex Pistols . Together they pursued a career in fashion. Initially, they operated Let It Rock, a stall selling secondhand 1950s vintage clothing along with McLaren’s rock-and-roll record collection. Westwood produced clothing designs based on his provocative ideas. Their customized T-shirts, which were ripped and emblazoned with shocking antiestablishment slogans and graphics, and their bondage trousers—black pants featuring straps inspired by sadomasochistic costume—flew out of the London shop of which the couple became proprietors in 1971. Their boutique—variously named Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die; Sex; and finally Seditionaries—was a youth fashion mecca. Their erotically charged fashion image enraged Britain’s right-wing press, however. Soon after Westwood and McLaren staged Pirates, their first commercial ready-to-wear collection, in 1981, they ended their personal relationship.

They remained professional partners for an additional five years, but Westwood soon established her identity as a leading independent designer. Westwood’s “mini-crini” design—a thigh-grazing crinoline produced in both cotton and tweed that debuted as part of her spring-summer 1985 collection—marked a turning point. For the next two decades she created collections that took inspiration from classical sources, notably the paintings of Jean-Honoré Fragonard , François Boucher , and Thomas Gainsborough , as well as historical British dress, including the 19th-century bustle, which Westwood incorporated under elaborate knitwear dresses and tartan miniskirts. Independently, Westwood built her own eponymous mini fashion empire, operating numerous boutiques and producing two menswear and three women’s wear collections annually as well as bridal clothes, shoes, hosiery, eyewear, scarves, ties, knitwear, cosmetics, and perfumes. On April 1, 2004, a retrospective devoted to her creations opened at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. “Vivienne Westwood: 34 Years in Fashion” was the largest exhibition the museum had ever dedicated to a British designer.

She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992 and advanced to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2006. Learn More in these related articles: Vivienne Westwood - Design Museum Vivienne Westwood Posted September 11, 2014 -- Updated March 14 Campaigning designer who personifies the potent and subversive originality of British fashion. Share Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood’s continual exploration and reinterpretation of history, combined with a tireless individualism, has cemented her reputation as the UK’s most culturally significant fashion designer. Her expansive body of work traces the socio-economic and cultural climate of Britain over the past four decades, and a cursory glance through her archive also highlights the paradox of her career: an ascent from teenage rebellion through luxury and decadence to global commercial success. Vivienne Isabel Swire was born in Glossop, Derbyshire, in 1941. Although she made her own clothes and experimented with her looks from an early age she had little access to the high culture of art galleries, art books and theatre which was to inform her later career.

At the age of 16 she moved with her family from northern England to Harrow, Middlesex, where she embarked on a silversmithing and jewellery-making course at Harrow School of Art. Impatient to earn a wage, however, she left Harrow abruptly, completed a typing course and found a job as a secretary. It was not until her mid-thirties that Westwood returned to fashion, by which time she had started work as a primary school teacher, married her first husband, Derek Westwood, and had her first child, Ben. In 1965 Westwood met Malcolm McLaren, with whom she had a second son, Joseph (who founded the underwear label Agent Provocateur) and who re-triggered her interest in fashion and experimentation with her image. McLaren, a dynamic and radical character who Westwood regarded as ‘fascinating and mad’, introduced her to a plethora of new political and artistic ideas, which continue to influence her work today. Their partnership flourished both professionally and as a romance: McLaren had his finger on the pulse of contemporary culture and Westwood the creative flare to translate his ideas into clothing.

The continually evolving vision of Westwood and McLaren was brought to a wider public in 1971 when they took over a now legendary shop at 430 Kings Road, London. The site was a work in progress with a frequently changing name and merchandise that switched style continually as it reflected and launched London’s subcultural currents. The first incarnation, Let it Rock, modelled itself on the 1950’s Teddy-boy aesthetic. In 1973 Let it Rock ceded to Too Fast to Live Too Young to Die in tribute to James Dean’s untimely death, and stocked fetish wear previously only available by mail order. Westwood and McLaren’s ambition to bring the dark world of sexual adventure and fetish to the streets of London was made explicit when they re-branded the shop SEX in 1975. SEX (later named Seditionaries) became synonymous with the most culturally significant street style of the second half of the 20th century, Punk.

It was famous for its sexually crude and evocative garments: ‘bondage’ trousers and T-shirts emblazoned with provocative phrases like ‘Cambridge Rapist’ and ‘Paedophilia’ which caused controversy and outrage in the mainstream of British society. One particular T-shirt, ‘Two Naked Cowboys’, got their friend, the artist Alan Jones, arrested; while McLaren’s newly formed Punk band, the Sex Pistols, were a highly effective promotional vehicle for the shop and its owners’ ethos. As Punk gradually began to influence the mainstream, the couple looked towards romanticism, heroism even, in fashion design. Westwood had dressed the Punks; now her Pirates collection (1979–1981) was adopted by musicians labelled the New Romantics. This work brought to the fore the habit for which she is renowned: raiding history for ideas. Adam and the Ants and Spandau Ballet wore billowing, lavishly printed gold, red and orange shirts inspired by Westwood’s study of 18th Century men’s clothing but flamboyantly fused with North American Indian and pirate styles.

The collection released a rakish and androgynous sexual overtone that took 1980s Britain by surprise and was available for sale in the shop newly (and still) named World’s End. In 1981 Westwood and McLaren consolidated the Pirates collection, which had been evolving organically in the shop, and launched it on the catwalk in London. This was Westwood’s first foray into the arena of established fashion. Although her work had featured in i-D and The Face, the UK’s leading street style bibles, Westwood continued to struggle for recognition in the mainstream press. In Italy, however, her work was hailed with reverence, and financial backing from business mogul Carlo D’Amario was secured. By 1983, with a second London shop, Nostalgia of Mud, the business ran into financial difficulties. Westwood broke ties with McLaren and continued to work from Italy with D’Amario who was now a lover as well as a business partner. D’Amario successfully negotiated a business deal with Armani which, alongside substantial financial backing, produced and marketed Westwood’s label.

No longer constrained by McLaren’s vision, Westwood turned the subcultural inspiration of the street into a deeper relationship with historicism. It was during this time that Westwood pioneered ‘underwear-as-outerwear’, in collections that revelled in the corset and the crinoline. Supported by meticulous research, the Mini-Crini collection of 1986 featured shortened 19th century-style crinolines with Minnie-Mouse prints, polka dots and stars and stripes worn with rocking-horse platform shoes. In a period when other designers empowered women with shoulder pads, Westwood placed the emphasis firmly on the hips. This collection exaggerated the feminine forms and accents of historical clothing to create a sexually-charged vision that was outrageous and almost absurd. Ten years later, the sexually confrontational Vive la Cocotte collection of 1996, which featured large bum-cushions and padded busts, again inspired by 19th century dress. By 1986, Westwood’s romantic relationship with D’Amario had come to an end, as well as her partnership with Armani.

Although D’Amario continued to manage the business, as he still does today, she moved back to London and began to take an interest in the clothes and fabrics of the British establishment. Her Harris Tweed collection of 1987 was named after the woollen fabric woven in the Western Isles of Scotland and took its inspiration from Savile Row tailors, incorporating a variety of tweeds, including the traditional Tattershall check and red barathea. Affectionately parodying the establishment, these clothes evoked the aristocracy, boarding school and country houses; hunting, shooting and fishing; and in Westwood’s interpretation, inevitably declared sexuality under the constraint of British understatement. Westwood was also inspired by 18th century paintings, ceramics and literature and spent time studying the paintings of the Wallace Collection and the Victoria & Albert Museum’s archive in London. In Portrait (1990–1), Westwood used a photographic print of Francois Boucher’s Shepherd Watching a Sleeping Shepherdess on corsets and shawls. Always On Camera (1992–3) contained the Gainsborough Blouse which mimicked the delicate brushstrokes of the 18th century British portraitist’s work.

Her considered reinterpretation of tradition came through again in Anglomania (1993–94). Westwood created her own clan (the traditional extended family and social unit of Scottish society) and tartan (the woven wool check identified with that unit), MacAndreas, named after her third husband and collaborator, Andreas Kronthaler. That McAndreas is displayed at Lochcarron Museum of Tartan in Scotland alongside time-honored traditional tartans is a very significant accolade to be bestowed on a contemporary designer. Today, Westwood is a global empire comprises the semi-couture line Gold Label, a ready-to-wear line Red Label, Vivienne Westwood Man and the diffusion line Anglomania. She has perfumes — Boudoir, launched in 1998, and Libertine, launched in 2000 — as well as successful ranges of knitwear and accessories.

British Designer of the Year twice, in 1990 and 1991, honoured with the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and made Dame Vivienne Westwood in 2006, she has drawn uncommonly wide acclaim from the extremes of the street and the establishment. In the 2000s, Westwood has become almost as well known for her political activism as for her designs, campaigning on a variety of issues including climate change, civil liberties and nuclear disarmament. However, whether she is ridiculing the ruling classes, shocking the public or drawing attention to her chosen cause, Westwood continues to sustain the ultimate design contradiction: producing the unexpected while defining the spirit of the decade.

Timeline 1941 Born in Glossop, Derbyshire, to a father who worked as a shoe maker and a cotton weaver mother 1959 Moved with her mother and father to Harrow in North London where she briefly studied at the Harrow School of Art 1960 Studied to become a primary school teacher and worked in schools around South London 1962 Met her first husband, Derek Westwood, at a local dance hall 1965 Met Malcolm McLaren and began a romantic and business partnership with him. This marked the beginning of her experimentation with fashion design 1970 McLaren and Westwood took over a shop at 430 King Road, London, and called it ‘Let it Rock’.

The shop sold 1950’s Teddy-boy clothing 1972 The shop became known as ‘Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die’ and sold second-hand jeans, customised leather jackets and ‘Dominator’ and ‘Triumph’ T-shirts 1974 Once again renamed the shop ‘Sex’, became a mecca for the Sex Pistols and the punk-rock generation 1976 The shop is branded ‘Seditionaries’ and sells sexual fetish clothing 1977 Met Canadian painter, Gary Ness, who introduced her to literature, painting, and classical music 1981 Westwood designed her first collection, ‘Pirates’. 450 Kings Road is renamed ‘World’s End’ and remains so to this day 1982 Westwood and McLaren open a second shop, ‘Nostalgia of Mud’ in St Christopher’s Place, London and shows her collection of the same name in Paris, the first English designer to do so since Mary Quant 1983 Met Carlo D’Amario, her current manager and one-time lover 1984 ‘Nostalgia of Mud’ shop closed due to financial problems.

Moved to Italy, with business partner D’Amario and designed ‘Hypnos’ at his house in the Alps. ‘Hypnos’ was subsequently shown at Hanae Mori’s ‘Best of Five’ global fashion awards 1985 ‘Mini-Crini’ collection designed and shown at the Cour du Louvre, Paris, and the Limelight nightclub, New York. 1986 Westwood returns to live in London 1987 Designs ‘Harris Tweed’ collection inspired by the clothes of the British establishment 1988 Opens a second London shop in Mayfair 1990 Awarded Fashion Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council 1991 Designs ‘Slash and Cut’ menswear collection Awarded Fashion Designer of the Year for the second year running Shows designs at the Tokyo Fashion Summit alongside Christian Lacroix 1992 Awarded an OBE.

as well as being made an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art Opens a shop at 43 Conduit Street, introduces wedding gowns to her collections and creates a watch for Swatch, called ‘Putti’ 1993 1994 Wins the first Institute of Contemporary Art Award for Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Culture Marks the founding in 1783 of the carpet company Britons by designing Ancien Régime costumes in carpet 1995 Designs ‘Vive la Cocotte’, a collection that reworks the ideas from her last five collections; it particularly emphasises the interchange of fashion influences between France and England 1996 Launches ‘Man’, her menswear label, in Milan Designs all the costumes for the production of The Three Penny Opera by Bertold Brecht and Kurt Weill, performed at the Burgtheater, Vienna 1998 Launches ‘Boudoir’, her debut fragrance Awarded the Queen’s Award for Export in recognition of the company’s growing export market 1999 Launches the Red Label in the United States to coincide with the opening of her first shop in New York Introduces accessories lines, such as the Eyewear collection 200

0 The Museum of London holds the exhibition ‘Vivienne Westwood: the collection of Romilly McAlpine’ 2002 Opens a shop in Hong Kong 2003 Awarded the UK Fashion Export Award for Design Opens a shop in Milan and Liverpool 2004 Vivienne Westwood retrospective opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2005 Joins the board of trustees for Liberty and designs a T-shirt in defence of liberty and human rights 2006 Made Dame Vivienne Westwood.

The ‘Anglomania’ exhibition is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2007 Presented with a Lifetime Achievement prize at the British Fashion Awards Launches her manifesto, ‘Active Resistence’ 2008 Returned to London Fashion Week to show her Red Label collection 2013 Dedicates one of her collections to US military whistleblower Bradley Manning Instagram Follow the latest snaps from the official Vivienne Westwood Instagram Twitter Vivienne Westwood - Iconic British Fashion Designer | London Fashion Review - British Fashion Designers, Labels and Brands Vivienne Westwood – Iconic British Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood – Iconic British Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood Fashion Labels – Modern Punk for the cool View Vivienne Westwood Fashion collections on London Fashion Review Blog Purveyor of Punk: The Vivienne Westwood Brand Vivienne Westwood is the British designer largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. In 1970, her career in fashion began, joining forces with partner and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren to craft the signature look of London’s emerging punk movement through various incarnations of their shop at 430 King’s Road, London.

Her business and personal relationship with McLaren ended in 1984, but her fashion evolution continued, incorporating safety pins and Union Jacks with her own tartan pieces, pinstriped tailoring, corsets, and Watteau (gathered and pleated) gowns. Her contribution to fashion has been commemorated with several retrospective showings of her work. Vivienne Westwood has also been made a Dame in the New Year Honours list of 2006. Vivienne Westwood has never been far from controversy. She wore a a sheer gown without underwear when receiving her OBE from the Queen in 1992. She has also had various forays into political activism. Westwood’s flirting with controversy may be one attribute that has made her namesake brand a fashion empire for the cool. Vivienne Westwood has four clothing lines Gold Label, Red Label, Anglomania, and Man; as well as a full range of Westwood accessories (from jewellery to bags) and fragrances that are sold at stores worldwide. Vivienne Westwood has flagship boutiques worldwide including fashion capitals Japan, Paris, Hong Kong, Moscow, Seoul, London, New York and Los Angeles.

History of the Vivienne Westwood Brand 1971: Vivienne Westwood starts designing and opens her first shop, ‘Let it Rock’ with husband and business partner Malcolm McLaren in Kings Road, London. The shop underwent many style and name changes, including ‘Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die’, ‘Sex’, ‘Seditionaries’ before settling on the name ‘World’s End’ in 1979, which it still remains today. 1981: Westwood shows her first collection catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. 1982: Vivienne Westwood begins to show her collections in Paris, the first British designer to do so since Mary Quant. With McLaren, she opens a second shop, ‘Nostalgia of Mud’ in London. 1984: Vivienne Westood shows her new collection in Tokyo with Hanae Mori , Calvin Klein , Claude Montana , and Gianfranco Ferre at “the best of five”. Unfortunately this year ‘Nostalgia of Mud’ closes coinciding with the end of her collaboration and relationship McLaren. 1986: Carlo D’Amario is appointed as Managing Director of Vivienne Westwood.

1989: Vivienne Westwood is named one of the six most influential designers in editor of the fashion bible, Women’s Wear Daily – John Fairchild’s book ‘Chic Savages’. 1990: Vivienne Westwood shows her first complete menswear collection in conjunction with Pitti Uomo in Florence. A new store opens in London’s Mayfair, which sells the Gold Collection. Additionally, Westwood receives the Designer of the Year Award at The British Fashion Council Awards. 1991: Vivienne Westwood is once again chosen to show in Tokyo, this time alongside Christian Lacroix , Isaac Mizrahi , and Francesco Moschino at the Fashion Summit. 1992: Vivienne Westwood receives the Designer of the Year Award for second time at The British fashion Council Awards. Following a listing in the Birthday Honours issued by Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, presents Vivienne Westwood with an O.B.E. in December. Also this year, collaboration with watch makers Swatch sees the creation of a watch design called ‘Putti’. Westwood also expands her Spring/Summer collection to include wedding gowns.

1993: The womenswear brand is divided into two different lines: Gold Label, selling couture, and Red Label the pret-â-porter line. Westwood creates her own tartan for the Anglomania line of Autumn/Winter 1993/94 and invents her own clan ‘MacAndreas’, which is officially recognized by Lochcarron of Scotland. Additionally, Westwood designs her second watch for Swatch, named ‘Orb’. 1996: The independent menswear line ‘Man’ is launched in Milan. 1998: Vivienne Westwood Ltd is awarded the Queen’s Award for Export in recognition of the company’s growing export market. Vivienne Westwood launches her debut fragrance, ‘Boudoir’, developed in conjunction with world-famous perfumer, Martin Gras of Dragoco. 1999: The Vivienne Westwood Red Label is launched in New York to coincide with the opening of the first US store on Greene Street, New York. Accessories lines are introduced including the eyewear collection and the body and bath line.

2001: The second fragrance from Vivienne Westwood, ‘Libertine’, is launched globally, following a release in Europe the previous year. A new Vivienne Westwood flagship store opens in Moscow. Additionally the official Vivienne Westwood website is launched. 2002: The Hong Kong flagship store opens as do two boutiques in Korea. 2003: The brand collaborates with Wedgwood to develop a Vivienne Westwood home collection. Brand expansion continues with store openings in Milan and Liverpool. 2004: Vivienne Westwood is awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the Elle style awards the Women’s World Fashion Award by Former President Gorbachev in Hamburg. Also this year the third Vivienne Westwood fragrance ‘Anglomania’ is launched. 2006: Vivienne Westwood is made a Dame in the New Years Honours List for services to fashion. 2007: The brand launches two new fragrances, ‘Boudoir Sin Garden’ and ‘Let it rock’. Also this year the ‘Anglomania’ collection is shown at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week in Berlin and Vivienne Westwood receives the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London.

2010: Vivienne Westwood teams up with denim brand, Lee Jeans, for a capsule collection featuring five styles for women and four for men. The Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee Jeans collection takes inspiration from Westwood’s punk and pirate collections of the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, Vivienne Westwood is named as the Coolest Fashion Brand in a survey administered by The Centre for Brand Analysis. 2011: The new Palladium jewellery collection is launched to coincide with the opening of the Los Angeles flagship store. Famous Faces of Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood has been worn by many a famous face. At the 2011 Oscars, Dame Helen Mirren and co-host Anne Hathaway both walked the red carpet in Vivienne Westwood. Other fans include Zoe Salanda, Heidi Klum, Anna Kendrick, Kerry Washington, Gwen Steffani, Dita von Teese and Eva Mendes. The Vivienne Westwood brand has also used high profile celebrities in advertising campaigns. Pamela Anderson starred in advertising campaigns and walked the catwalk for the Spring/Summer 2009 collection.

Pamela Anderson for Vivienne Westwood Pamela and Vivienne have remained friends since the start of their working relationship, and for Westwood’s 70th birthday Anderson joined forces with British charity Cool Earth to gift Vivienne with a 70-acre rainforest plot to put back in the hands of indigenous communities, saving it from deforestation. Christina Hendricks best known for her role on smash hit US drama, Mad Men was announced in 2011, to be the face of Vivienne Westwood’s new ‘Get a Life’ Palladium jewellery collection. With her infamous curves, shock of flaming red hair and an already existing love for the fashions of Vivienne Westwood, she was the perfect choice to front the collection. The new collection comprises both couture and commercial pieces crafted from palladium, a naturally white metal belonging to the platinum family. The collection is said to be inspired by nature and from the symbols of paganism – including the acorn, the oak tree and the heart. These are said to represent strength, power and hope for change to make the environment better for the future – a cause Vivienne Westwood is particularly passionate about.

The line was released in March of 2011 to coincide with the opening of the Los Angeles flagship store as well as being sold in the London-based Vivienne Westwood boutiques. Vivienne Westwood has also featured on the big screen; a wedding dress design featured in the 2008 film adaptation of the award winning television series Sex and the City. In the film adaptation, Carrie Bradshaw (fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker), becomes engaged to long term lover Mr. Big. Carrie models a series of wedding dresses for an upcoming article in Vogue, called “The Last Single Girl”. One of the dresses featured in the photo shoot is a design made by Westwood and it is subsequently sent to Carrie as a gift, with a handwritten note from Westwood herself. Westwood was less impressed by the other fashion contributions to the movie – she walked out of the film’s London premiere after 10 minutes, publicly criticising the clothing featured as being frumpy and boring. Wedding dress in Sex in the City Vivienne Westwood with superstar Gwen Stefani Politics of Vivienne Westwood In 2011, Vivienne Westwood made some controversial comments to a Fox News Reporter at the opening of her new LA store.

She was claimed to have said that within one generation, Los Angeles will be uninhabitable if people don’t do something about it. This statement created a backlash of comments from climate experts completely refuting her claims. However, this isn’t the first time that Vivienne Westwood has caused controversy in the world of political activism. In 1989, Westwood appeared on the cover of Tatler magazine dressed as then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The suit which Westwood wore had been ordered for Thatcher but had not yet been delivered. The cover image, which bore the title “this woman was once a punk”, infuriated Thatcher yet became one of the most memorable covers for the magazine. It was even included in The Guardian’s list of the best ever UK magazine covers. In 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British civil rights group Liberty and launched exclusive limited design T-shirts and baby wear bearing the slogan I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don’t arrest me. Westwood said she was supporting the campaign and defending human rights; a topic she had been interested in since school. The sale of the T-shirts raised funds for the organisation.

Westwood’s Green Heart Conserving the environment is a cause close to the heart of Vivienne Westwood. In a 2007 interview, she spoke out against consumerism, and attended the première of The Age of Stupid, a film aimed to motivate the public to act against climate change. Influenced by the film, she created the manifesto Active Resistance to Propaganda, which deals with the pursuit of art in relation to the human predicament and climate change. Refuting the claim that anti-consumerism and fashion contradict each other, she said in 2007 that “I don’t feel comfortable defending my clothes. But if you’ve got the money to afford them, then buy something from me. Just don’t buy too much.” To take a full look at the recent collections of Vivienne Westwood, visit the official Vivienne Westwood website . Leave a Reply You must be logged in to post a comment. 8 years on the runway London Fashion Review Est. 2007 Thanks for reading. Best of British: Fashion Designers Best of British: Fashion Designers The first ever couturier was British.

Granted, Charles Frederick Worth worked in Paris, but he was born in Bourne, England in 1825 before heading to the French capital to become the favoured designer of Napoleon III’s court, where he drew upon the history of costume to create elaborate, lavish gowns. Over the past 150 years fashion has moved way beyond Worth’s spangled silk tulle and corsets, and some of the most progressive style movements have been down to British designers. They were responsible for the Swinging Sixties and Punk after all. So as we celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, we thought we’d also take a look at some of the most influential fashion designers her United Kingdom has produced… Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Let’s begin with arguably the most influential, not only has Dame Viv had a career that’s spanned five decades (so far) but she was also, along with her one time partner Malcolm McLaren responsible for a whole fashion genre – punk. In the Seventies, inspired by S&M, bondage and bikers she began designing pieces that incorporated tartan, chains and safety pins, sold at her infamous Kings Road store and worn by the likes of the Sex Pistols.

In her later years Westwood has become more known for her curve-hugging, corseted dresses. Westwood in her punk days and Vivienne Westwood Red Label S/S 12 Shop Vivienne Westwood Red Label Stella McCartney Stella McCartney McCartney had a rocky start to her career (and the shouts of nepotism weren’t helped by the fact she roped in Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell to model in her graduate show) but a few seasons into her position as Creative Director at French label Chloé she hit her stride with quirky designs that were both sexy and girlish. Upon launching her own eponymous label in 2001 she undertook a more grown-up, tailored aesthetic, attracting a high-profile celebrity clientele which has meant her dresses tend to be ubiquitous red carpet staples. One thing that has always remained constant, as a lifelong vegetarian, is her refusal to work with leather or fur.

Stella McCartney S/S 12 and Chloe S/S 01 Shop Stella McCartney Burberry Thomas Burberry One of Britain’s oldest labels, Burberry didn’t start out as a fashion company, but became famous for a type of hardwearing, waterproof fabric called gabardine, created by founder Thomas Burberry in 1870. It was used by Army officers for their uniforms and Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole. As the 20th century progressed, popularity of their Trench coats soared and their trademark check was unfortunately adopted by Seventies football hooligans. The name of their catwalk collection, Prorsum, is the Latin word for ‘forward’ and that only really happened for the label in 2001 when Yorkshire born designer Christopher Bailey took the creative reigns – his modern and directional take on classic English style wowed the critics and turned the label into one of the industry’s biggest hitters.

Burberry Prorsum S/S 12 and an original Burberry advert Shop Burberry Prorsum Alexander McQueen Alexander McQueen Right from the word go, whilst cutting his sartorial teeth as a tailor on Savile Row, London born Lee McQueen really earned his reputation as the ‘hooligan of fashion’, famously chalking obscenities into the lining of a blazer for the Prince of Wales. After studying at Central Saint Martins School of Art he was discovered by the iconic late stylist Isabella Blow, who fell in love with the mix of exquisite tailoring and delicate beauty of his designs. In a controversial career he went on to popularise low cut trousers nicknamed ‘bumsters’, debut a collection called ‘Highland Rape’ and had a spell at Givenchy before launching his own line at the start of the 21st century. McQueen took his own life in February 2010 and was succeeded at his label by his former assistant Sarah Burton, whose collections since have earned rave reviews, and was responsible for Kate Middleton’s dress at last Summer’s Royal Wedding.

Alexander McQueen S/S 12 and the Alexander McQueen 'bumsters't Shop Alexander McQueen Christopher Kane Christopher Kane Scottish designer Kane’s rise to fame was rapid, thanks to his Spring/Summer 07 collection, which showcased body sculpting dresses in bright neon shades with glittering details, and the space age couture aesthetic was an instant hit. Kane was snapped up by Versace to design their Versus line, whilst continuing his own eponymous label which he runs with sister and muse Tammy. What’s interesting about Kane is that he refused to rest on the successful look he’d already established and instead each season sees a new style, with the past few seasons seeing the designer experiment with gothic, floral embosses leather, rainbow hued tulle and applique, and minimal metallics. Shop Christopher Kane Christopher Kane S/S 07 and Christopher Kane S/S 12 Mary Quant Mary Quant Along with Frenchman André Courrèges, Quant is one of the Sixties designers who takes credit for the mini-skirt, a garment which literally revolutionised world fashion.

Bringing fun and fantasy to fashion, Welsh/English Quant was ideal for the youthquake rocking Britain (though she set up her store in 1955, her designs didn’t take off till several years later). She also brought hotpants to the style table and was one of the first models of Vidal Sassoon’s directional ‘five-point’ haircut. Jean Shrimpton posing with The Rolling Stones in a Mary Quant dress and a Mary Quant mini-dress Matthew Williamson Matthew Williamson The king of ‘boho chic’, this somewhat outdated term now refers back to when Manchester born Matthew Williamson resurrected the hippy luxe aesthetic to huge popularity at the start of the 21st century. Using bright jewel tones and tactile luxurious fabrics, his pieces took influence from the Far East and Seventies bohemia and were championed by the likes of Helena Christianson, Sienna Miller and Plum Sykes. Since moving back to London Fashion Week after showing in New York for several years, Williamson’s collections have taken on a more traditionally girlish, pretty look.

Matthew Williamson S/S 00 and Matthew Williamson S/S 12 Shop Matthew Williamson Katharine Hamnett Katherine Hamnett meeting Margaret Thatcher Hamnett founded her label in 1979, but it was in the early Eighties that she really rose to prominence, as one of the first designers to use fashion as a political and ethical tool. Her slogan t-shirts (later adopted by the band Frankie Goes To Hollywood with a more playful message), which expressed mantras such as ‘ Choose Life’ and ‘ 58% Don’t Want Pershing’, the latter of which she wore to meet then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Hamnett has continued to have strong political views about the fashion industry, declaring in 2008 that designers at London Fashion Week were racist for not including enough black models, and her t-shirts have continued to spawn hundreds of imitations. Katherine Hamnett slogan t-shirts Jonathan Saunders Jonathan Saunders An example of a British designer at the start of his career, Spring/Summer 12 has been the Scottish designer’s most successful season yet, with an eye-catching collection that included many of the year’s must-have pieces.

A print specialist, Saunders debuted at London Fashion Week in 2003 and his aesthetic has since matured into bright and cheery tailoring with a feminine twist and he has taken up a post at Italian luxury label Pollini as well as collaborating with Topshop on a line. Jonathan Saunders A/W 04 and Jonathan Saunders S/S 12 Shop Jonathan Saunders Paul Smith Paul Smith Nottingham born Smith is one of Britain’s most famous modern tailors, whose contributions to menswear earned him a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Smith started his business in his hometown in 1970, opening up his own shop. His bright and inventive approach to shirts and suits saw the business expand to London and eventually become a global brand, with twelve different collections all celebrating his mixture of the classic with the quirky. Paul Smith S/S 12 and Paul Smith S/S 04 Shop Paul Smith Menswear

Question: What is the first name of the British fashion designer Westwood?
Answer: Vivienne