Vivienne Westwood’s Most Memorable Fashion Moments
On December 29th, 2022, people around the world mourned as news spread that Dame Vivienne Westwood had passed. The fashion designer and activist defined modern punk and inspired millions with her unapologetic attitude and sense of style. In light of her passing, here are some of Westwood’s most memorable, iconic, and influential fashion moments, both on the runway and off.
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With partner Malcolm McLaren, Westwood opened a boutique, known by a few different names but most famously “SEX”. The boutique sold a variety of punk items, bondage wear, vintage pieces from the 50s, and other original designs made by Westwood based on the ideas of McLaren, who was also the manager of The Sex Pistols. The clothing designed by Westwood became synonymous with the Sex Pistols brand, featuring rips, safety pins, and leather.
The most memorable piece is the famous “God Save the Queen” shirt made for the Pistols, which Westwood was photographed in outside the Bow Street Magistrate Court after she and McLaren were released on bail for fighting in 1977. The distressed, white, long-sleeve shirt features a distorted image of young Queen Elizabeth II with a safety pin on her face and lyrics to the song “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols, along with their logo. It now lives in the collection of the Met Museum in New York City, though it is not on display at this time.
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The Portrait Collection was essential to defining the Westwood style. The collection was part of Westwood’s “Britain Must Go Pagan” era, and also signified the start of what many believe was Westwood’s most renowned decade, the 90s. The 18th-century inspired corsets are the most memorable pieces of the collection, featuring iconic paintings (for example, the 1743 painting Daphnis and Chloe, Shepherd Watching a Sleeping Shepherdess by French Rococo artist François Boucher) framed on the sides in gold. Corsets are now regularly seen on the runway, arguably due to Westwood and her collection’s influence.
The Vivienne Westwood brand is extremely popular amongst celebrities, both on the streets and the red carpets. Many big names have worn her designs, including Amy Winehouse, Gwen Stefani, Beyoncé, Zendaya, and Bella Hadid. One look that stands out, however, would be the stunning lilac dress worn by Elle Fanning to the Independent Spirit Awards in 2021. It was inspired by Catherine the Great’s love of pearls, a reference to Fanning’s portrayal of the royal in Hulu’s The Great. Boasting pearl straps and
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Vivienne Westwood was not only a fashion designer but a pioneer who used her platform for immeasurable good. With her designs, the Queen of Punk raised awareness for countless issues such as climate change and animal cruelty. Her influence has and will continue to inspire millions around the world to never stop being themselves.
Strike Out,
Writer: Maya Kayyal
Editors: Madison Sloan and Ainsley McCullen
Saint Augustine
