Vivienne Westwood: A Fresh And Daring Vision

The ones she had spent morning after morning preening. The petunias, the wisteria, her belladonna. Overgrown. Her tomatoes and cabbages. Rotten. Her daffodils and dahlias, their stems cracked and dry. Dead.

Her cottage, under a sky darkened with storm clouds.

Clouds she used to dance under. The rain sloshing in the lily pond.

Drumming on the roof and gutter.

Cascading down her face. Washing away her tears and sorrows.

The gate was rusted. The plants uncared for.

The house.

It looked so different now. It was dark inside her cottage. Even though. She had left the lights on.

“You don't understand, I have to go back.” The curl of the unsmiling man’s lips was making her uneasy. “My apologies Miss Bennet, there is no going back.” The screams beyond the walls got louder and they screeched until they collided with the image of the life she’d let behind, fragments of the rain and flowers, trees and laughter attempting to resistAnd then, nothing. So she signed the form.

“Memories…Always such a bother” the man grimaced, setting the forms aside. And just like that, all traces of the cottage vanished forever from her mind.

FASHION & DESIGN

ADA - WRITER DANIEL, VEDANGINI & ILINCA - EDITORS

Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood is a British fashion designer and businesswoman whose name is instantly recognizable because of her bold vision and brand new perspective of fashion. She has designed numerous pieces that have redefined the punk style. She is not only audacious when it comes to the fashion industry, but her unique personality also shines through her life decisions. She designed pieces that took you back to the culturally rich and pleasing punk music era of the 1970s. Vivienne Westwood proved that even the most unconventional figures can become part of the establishment, gain immense support and become famous. She showed that through hard work and time you can find your path, even if people don’t agree with or understand your vision at first.

Vivienne: the female face of punk, was born in Tintwistle on April 8th, 1941. Her parents had nothing to do with the fashion world: Vivienne’s dad was a storekeeper in an aircraft factory and her mom had previously worked as a greengrocer. In an interview, Vivienne revealed that when she was little she did not consider herself pretty, at the time an important factor for being considered beautiful was having blonde curly hair and hers was brunette and straight. She stated that she always knew that one day she could make herself look better and would be able to change her appearance. Vivienne also revealed that she had never even considered the idea of working in the fashion industry, even though she was exceptionally skilled even at the age of just 16, when she made tailored suits for herself.

At the age of 18, Vivienne went to the university then known as ‘Harrow Art School’, with the idea that art would be her main subject and if that wouldn’t work out she’d become a school teacher. After one term she dropped out saying "I didn't know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the art world". After that, she attended a teacher-training college and became a primary teacher.

By early 1960, Vivienne’s life seemed established and predictable. She had married Derek Westwood in 1962, had a son named Benjamin (Ben), and embarked on work as a teacher. However, all of this changed when she divorced her husband and met Malcolm McLaren. The two fell madly in love and had a son named Joseph later on, in 1967, but the two never actually got married . Back when they were at the start of their relationship, Malcolm had left college and needed help with a project he was interested in and that involved Vivienne making clothes.