Queen Viv

Fashion passes by like a chameleon changing to fit into the surrounding but Vivienne Westwood’s work stands out and you can wear her work forever. Westwood inspired me as she is rebellious and follows no-one’s rules. She is her own person and wants to portray her messages to the world as she is an activist who wants to prevent climate change and the famous ‘gap’. The gap in a society is that which makes us judge one another; the gap which divides us financially, the gap which judges each other on race, age, religion and where we are from. We need to prevent the gap which Westwood fights against so societies can be seen as an equal, and not labelled.

Vivienne Westwood is an activist who wants her voice to be heard and will not stop until it does. Her main focus is sustainability and climate change which seems bizarre considering the product she is selling, but one must remember it is the message she is truly trying to sell: actions have consequences. We must stop and think about our actions and start to make changes. Westwood says that we should only buy one new piece of clothing a year,

Q UE E N VIV

however we should treasure this item and love it. Purchasing quality over quantity will help make our clothes last and not just go into the endless cycle of throwing things into landfill, never to be seen again. The next time you are thinking about getting rid of something, have Westwood in mind; give it to charity or somewhere where it will be useful and appreciated. Our school recently took the initiative of clothes swap during the ‘Green Week’ which helped us think about waste.

Westwood has had many phases through fashion and it has been a journey to where she is today; she has gone through different style eras and this is what has shaped her into her unique and rebellious style. She loves to break the rules and society’s heavy judgement of one another, never to be seen as one, but always to be true to yourself and stand out as an individual.

Westwood hit the fashion industry as a rebellious designer who stood out. Her first collection was themed around the French Revolution where her name reached celebrity status. She was influenced by music, particularly the punk scene, where she was responsible for bringing modern punk into the mainstream.

Westwood wants to make women feel powerful and not just to be thin. This is a strong message and particularly apt for today’s society.

In my opinion, Westwood stands for inspirational messages and we need more empowering women to share views on how society can grow into a better place. We all have our own style, it is like our DNA to be expressive: don’t be afraid.

by A Davis Year 8