Vivienne Westwood Fashion Icon
Molli Payne March 20, 2014
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Vivienne Westwood is one of the world’s most iconic designers. She is known
for her dark Goth designs and for dressing the Sex Pistols. Her iconic red hair is known around the globe along with her beliefs on human rights. She was also the lucky designer that was chosen for Carrie Bradshaw’s Wedding dress in the first Sex and the City Movie. Westwood has been in the business since the 1970’s and is still going strong. She just recently showed her latest fall collection on the Paris runway.
Westwood was born in Glossop, Derbyshire, UK on August 4, 1941. Her birth
name is Vivienne Isabel Swire. When she was 17 her family moved to London where she began to study fashion at the Harrow School of Art. She left after one semester because she did not think that a working class girl like herself could make money in the art world. She then began to work in a factory while still studying to become a teacher. Westwood then taught in a primary school while selling jewelry she made on London’s Portobello Road. In 1961 Vivienne met Derek Westwood and they wed the following year. She wore a wedding dress that she made for the wedding. At age 25, Vivienne saw her life just passing by her and she wanted to do something about it. Her marriage ended, she met Malcolm McLaren and her life changed forever.
McLaren showed Westwood the underground of the 1960’s street and taught
her about art and how to use her creative desires in the working class. McLaren would be the future manager of the Sex Pistols and Westwood would become the bands primary dresser. In 1971 her first designs were hanging in her store Let It Rock, at 430 Kings Road in London.
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By 1972 the store owned by the two rebels was renamed and rebranded with
skulls and crossbones, to Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die. The store sold more pieces inspired by biker clothing and was covered with zippers, rips, and leathers. Westwood and McLaren began to design t-‐shirts for the store that had very provocative messages on them leading them to renaming the store to Sex in 1974. This store was very unique and different among the other stores in London. The store had the slogan of “rubber wear for the office.” Westwood was also dressing Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols around this time.
“Punk Rock” was born around 1976. The media saw this style evolving into
crazy hair do’s and crazy makeup with zippers, chains, and safety pins on clothing. Along with bondage gear used as everyday wear with spiked dog collars for jewelry. With the collapse of the band and with punk leaving the mainstream culture, Westwood and McLaren decided to design their first runway collection for Vivienne Westwood the brand. This collection was very romantic and is the most iconic of any Vivienne Westwood collection. The collection busted onto the London fashion scene. McLaren and Westwood ended their relationship in 1982.
Westwood continued with her collections and designing. She focused on
history and what the word fashion meant. She believes it is an exchange between England and France. “On the English side we have tailoring and an easy charm, on the French side solidity of design and proportion that comes from never being satisfied because something can always be done to make it better, more refined.” (stylesequel.com)
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In 1983 Westwood opened another shop in London called Nostalgia of Mud.
The business went into a financial crisis and Westwood found hope in Italy. Carlo D’Amario financially backed her and he helped her pull the business back onto the right track. He set up a deal with Armani and they produced and marketed the Westwood label. She turned her label from the punk inspired to the history inspired designs that you still see today.
Along with Vivienne Westwood’s multiple awards and collections she had
two very precious prizes of her own. Westwood had her first son Ben, with her first husband, Derek Westwood. Her second son, Joseph was born with Malcolm McLaren. Joseph is the owner and runs the lingerie company Agent Provocateur.
Westwood is a fashion icon. She put her name on the map with her crazy,
sexy, over the top designs and punk rock stardom and continued her career with inspiration from past centenaries. She will be remembered for her crazy personality but also her humbleness for human rights. Westwood will live forever in the fashion world and continues to grow her brand with her 3 different lines, perfumes, and accessories. She still runs her store at 430 King Road and continues to rock the runway.
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Icon Board
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Mood Board
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Mood Board Description When I first thought of a shoot based off of Vivienne Westwood, I thought of the wedding dress that Carrie Bradshaw wore in the first Sex and the City movie and 1970’s punk. I wondered how to bring to two together and I thought of a weird compromise. I kept thinking about doing a southern gothic look. I was inspired by the dress from Sex and the City and 1970’s Westwood. I found a pair of very cute shoes that Vivienne designed. These shoes are very girly and very different then her 1970’s punk look. The shoes reminded me of shoes that an American princess or a southern belle would wear. I took the concept of a southern belle and the punk theme and spun them together to get the look for the shoot. A photograph of Westwood dressed as if she is royalty inspired me to make sure the wardrobe is gothic punk, with a bit of sophistication. That’s why I chose Westwood’s Fall 2014 line as the wardrobe for the shoot.
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Wardrobe, Color Story, Hair & Makeup Board
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Wardrobe, Color Story, Makeup & Hair Description Vivienne Westwood’s Fall 2014 collection is going to be the wardrobe for the shoot. I love this line and chose a bunch of different looks. I also pulled earrings that are in the online store right now. The makeup and hair are going to be very simple because we want the clothes to speak for themselves. The hair is going to be slicked back and the make up is going to be natural with a dark red lip. The color story for this shoot is dark colors with a pop of pink and turquoise blue.
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Location, Photography Style, Prop Board
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Location, Photography Style, Prop Description The shoot is going to be on location at a white church. The church looks small and has two white picked fences lining the walk way up to the door of the church. The shoot is set in the late fall after all the leaves have fallen and the trees are bare. The trees give an eerie, spooky feel to the shot. This was inspired by a “life and death” theme with the leaves on the ground and with the trees bare.
The shoot is going to be shot straight on and focused on the model that will
be placed in the doorway of the church. I want the winning photograph to be made in black and white and also washed with an old fashion, or antique photograph.
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Works Cited Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. "Vivienne Westwood / -‐ Design/Designer Information." Vivienne Westwood / - Design/Designer Information. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. "Vivienne Westwood Biography." StyleSequel.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
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