VIVIENNE WESTWOOD:” I JUST WANT TO SCREW UP EVERYTHING!”

Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire, on April 8, 1941. She studyed one semestar at Harrow School of Art. She was working as a teacher for a while.

Vivienne Westwood began designing clothes in 1971. The same year she and Malcolm McLaren (the former manager and impresario of the Sex Pistols) opened boutique “Let it Rock”, renamed “Too Fast to Live, Too Yong to Die” (1972), “Sex” (1974) and “Seditionaries” (1977).

In 1990 Westwood was named British Designer of the Year, as well as in 1991. She is well-known all over the world with different brands like “Vivienne Westwood golden label” (orientated to Haute Couture), “Vivienne Westwood red label” (orientated to the young consumers), “Anglomania” (casual unisex line), “Man” and others.
She has two children from her marriage with Mr. Westwood.

“Orthodox is the grave of the intelligentsia, but non – orthodox is the key to my personality” – it is no accident that Vivienne Westwood liked this epigram by Bertrand Russell so match that she presents it as her motto…Her aesthetics is based on the paradox, the extreme extravagance and the rebelliousness.

The most famous British designer gets inspiration from the life and the provocations of subcultures, from the decline of culture, from the past epochs… Westwood – flag of freedom in the contemporary fashion design and symbol of anti-fashion!

Pictures:
1. Vivienne Westwood.

Photo: © Seeling, Ch. Fashion, The century of the designers 1900 – 1999. Cologne, 2000.

2. -3. Vivienne Westwood collection autumn/winter 2010 / 2011.

Photo: © LFW: Vivienne Westwood - MillionLooks.com

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD:” I JUST WANT TO SCREW UP EVERYTHING!”