FASHION
Vivienne Westwood A huge name in the fashion industry with large scale production, Vivienne Westwood has upheld the title of the First Climate Change Luxury Brand. Westwood has been designing since 1970 originating as a punk style fashion brand bringing modern punk into the fashion mainstream.
Sustainability
She has partnered with not-for-profit organisation Canopy in an initiative to combat deforestation. She has not been shy to show that she is a passionate activist demonstrating this in many of her shows. The ‘Ecotricity’ fashion show raised awareness about renewable energies and Although you may know the iconic orb logo and symbol, showed encouragement for other luxury brands to transhow much do you really know behind the influential fig- fer their reliance on fossil fuels to green energy. Unlike ure behind it? The split of her former partner has enabled many other luxury labels, V ivienne W estwood has not her to forge a label that is truly her own with motifs of used real fur since 2007. provocation and tradition. The significance of the label ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last!’ – Vivienne Westwood is that it is one of the few independent global fashion houses to remain. Despite being nearly Vivienne Westwood 80 years old, she still runs her own company.
Achievements
Background
1992 - ‘The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’ awarded by Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace
2007 - ‘Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design’ at the British Fashion Awards.
2010 - ‘Prince Philip Designers Prize’
Vivienne Westwood: 34 Years in Fashion – largest exhibition the Victoria and Albert Museum has ever dedicated to a British designer.
In 2011, she designed for multiple royal wedding attendees: Princess Eugenie of York and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
From a background of school teaching, she became a self -taught designer and, together with who would be her Influence future husband, pursued a career in fashion originating from selling vintage second-hand clothing. She gained The brand is unique in that it seeks to do much more than recognition through the Sex Pistols who wore her early produce clothing. Instead of exploiting the power of their designs, gaining much mainstream attention. platform, it uses the brand voice to magnify the consequences of overconsumption and climate change. Westwood merges fashion with activism and politics. Fashion brands that relay caution about sustainability on their websites and shows, potentially owe a debt to Westwood. Although she was not to the first to fight for the rights of the planet, she certainly used her design popularity to persuade the public to acknowledge the desperate need for change. Further to Westwood’s legacy, she also leaves behind the postmodern legacy of punk style, preventing it from sinking below the surface of fashion.
Maja Marten, Year 12, School House 18
