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by Glenys Johnson (Author)
Designer, punk, rebel, dame... Vivienne Westwood was all this and more. One of the main architects of the 1970s punk era, the inimitable Westwood refused to take fashion too seriously, finding unique and arresting ways to subvert tradition and challenge the status quo.
But her impact on the industry was more than ripped T-shirts. A master of tailoring and mistress of corsetry, she deconstructed street fashion and parodied English looks with tight waists, bustles and a zany take on tartan and Harris Tweed.
Clients include Dita Von Teese, FKA Twigs and Doja Cat, her signature designs have featured in Japanese manga, Nana, and having captivated the TikTok generation, her vintage pieces still go viral today.
Punk in both fashion and politics to the very end, Vivienne Westwood will remain an icon of fashion and feminism for generations to come.
