Vivienne Westwood Gold Label
Biography
Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire on 8th April 1941 and at the age of 17, Vivienne and her family moved to London.
She began designing in 1971 along with her partner Malcolm McLaren when London was at the forefront of cultural trends. The showcase for their ideas and designs was the shop at 430 Kings Road, London. With her changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop but the entire decor as well. In 1971, 430 Kings Road was known as "Let It Rock". 1950s Rock n' Roll records and clothing were sold at a time when ‘hippies' were the fashion and Rock n' Roll music was rarely heard on British Radio. In 1972 however, the shop was renamed "Too Fast To Live, Too Young To Die" where Westwood and McLaren sold Zoot suits, clothing with zips and chains and T-shirts with slogans. This was followed by "Sex" in 1974 where the shop sold provocative clothing including rubberwear, leather bondage, T-shirts with zips and holes, bold slogans and imagery. With 1976 came punk and "Seditionaries" which saw Westwood and McLaren redefine a street culture of their own and this was followed by "World's End" which remains the shop's name to this day.
By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde and in Autumn/Winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. In October 1982, Westwood began to show in Paris, the first British designer to do so since Mary Quant.
In 1989 Mr. John Fairchild, President of Fairchild publications and Editor of the fashion trade bible Women's Wear Daily, in his book "chic savages", listed Westwood as one of the six most influential designers in the world. In July 1990, she showed her first complete menswear collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence. Westwood was awarded the prestigious title of British designer of the year in 1990 and again in the following year.
1993 brought the division of her womenswear label in to two different lines - "Gold Label", the couture range and "Red Label" the pret-â-porter line. "Man" her independent menswear line made its debut to international acclaim in 1996 during Collezioni Uomo in Milan. In 1998 Westwood launched a new line "Anglomania" in order to complete the Westwood universe and to cater to a younger and more casual market. Besides the four clothing ranges, Vivienne Westwood today also produces a seasonal jewellery, eyewear, footwear, bags and accessories collection. Westwood has also launched six fragrances - Boudoir, Libertine, Anglomania, Boudoir Sin Garden and Let it Rock.
In 2004 the V&A hosted a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 34 years in fashion - the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer - which is now touring the world. In 2006, her contribution towards British Fashion was officially recognised when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire.
2007 saw the first Anglomania catwalk show presented at the Mercedes Benz Fashion week in Berlin. In the same year, Westwood was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London.
Vivienne Westwood today is one of the most important British designer and an internationally recognised brand with stores globally. Her innovation and influence continues inspire many, extending beyond fashion to a wider cultural sphere.