Hats off to Dame Vivienne WESTWOOD

 

ARTIST is very sad. At the very end of 2022, the famous English stylist is bowing out.

Always marked and influenced by the extraordinary British designer, Brigitte and François explain their admiration for her talent in the world of fashion. They felt in tune with this iconic artist for her legendary relationship with style, with vital music, with all forms of creativity.

His clothing work on colors, patterns, in particular tartan checks was disconcerting and often left you stunned whether you were a fan or not. In very rock and roll aspects, nicely “fool” at first glance, she was a great professional, very competent especially on a large part of the graphics. The cuts of his jackets and coats left you speechless, breathtaking in style and originality.

The enfant terrible, known worldwide for his extravagant and colorful creations, and particularly for his hats, died at the age of 81 this Thursday, December 29.

In a tribute, his haute couture house wrote:

 “The world needs people like Vivienne to change for the better.”

In the early 1970s, she opened her first boutique with her partner Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, whom she even went so far as to dress like the New York Dolls.

Vivienne Westwood had become a true figure of the punk movement for her irreverent attitude towards the fashion establishment. First fashion show organized in London in 1981, at that time, she designed her famous t-shirt bearing the face of Queen Elizabeth II.

Androgynous and protest clothing, slogan t-shirts, over the years, she has exposed her eternal non-conformism throughout the world. Its models, with Walkman screwed onto their ears, danced to ethnic music, sporting henna dyes and gold teeth.

The representative of a glam-rock-rebellious style has demonstrated an eccentricity always renewed by her creations, sometimes punk or sometimes baroque.

His first complete collection for men was released in 1990.

After more than fifty years of turning her “experimental” fashion into a political platform, she was known as a dedicated activist and brought to the forefront causes that were close to her heart.

Vivienne Westwood was also committed to feminism and ecology. In 2008, she called on the textile industry to take global warming into account. Launching with Andreas Kronthaler, her husband and creative partner, the “reduce, reuse, rethink” movement, they sourced scraps of fabric or unsold inventory to make their collections.

Named Dame for services to fashion in 2006, she was also named British Designer of The Year three times for her atypical innovations.

In a statement quoted by the PA agency, Andreas Kronthaler added: "We worked until the end and she left me a lot to continue. Thank you, my dear."

Vivienne Westwood April 8, 1941 - December 29, 2022.