Vivienne Westwood

AT 73, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, THE "MOTHER" OF  PUNK ROCK DESIGN THAT CHANGED THE WORLD, REINVENTS HERSELF FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME TO DESIGN COSTUMES FOR THE ROYAL BALLET 

Vivienne Westwood,72, grew up in a part of England that came to being during the Industrial Revolution.  Despite having no exposure to Culture, such as the Arts or Theater, she became the Matriarch of the Punk Rock movement and has designed her way to creating for the Royal Family and now the National Ballet of London.

Vivienne attended Art school for one semester studying fashion and silversmithing, but dropped out after one semester. She utlimately started her career as a school teacher, and married Derek Westwood in the early 1960's.They had a son, Ben, and her life seemed pretty well established. Then she met Malcolm Mclaren, an art student. Vivienne left her first husband and the new team of Vivienne and Malcolm led to an everlasting change in the culture of not only England, but countries around the world, including the United States   

In 1971, Malcolm opened a Boutique on Kings Road in London, called "Let it Rock" The name was changed four more times until it took the name of "Sex". Mclaren conceived the idea for clothing taking inspiration from bikers, fetishists, and prostitutes, which Vivienne designed into clothing. Mclaren also began managing the Band, the Sex Pistols who began wearing the Mclaren/Westwood designs.The shop and these designs became a hub of the Punk Revolution. They also had a child together, Ben.

Malcolm  also taught Vivienne about the political power of art and encouraged her to develop her own individual creativity which she has continued to do for more than forty years. At that time, in the early 1970's, the movement was a reaction by the youth against older generations considered oppressive and outdated.  Through Malcolm's inspiration and her own creativity she designed a most rebellious line of clothing that evoked such visceral reactions as dirty, ripped, scarred, shocking, cruel, traumatized, sick or alienated. Needless to say, Vivienne Westwood also became a controversial influence that had much weight then, and  now. 

However, even after the Punk Movement faded, Vivienne remained rebellious and often setting the fashion curve . The couple looked toward romanticism in their next venture which emerged 1979-1981 as the Pirates collection.The collection was highly influenced by 18th century men's clothing fused with North American Indian and Pirate which rendered an androgynous overtone, greatly shocking Britain once again.  

By 1981, Westwood and McLaren launched their line on the catwalk in London, Westwood's first foray into established fashion. Britain was not about to embrace Westwood, however, Italy hailed her work as genius.  She received financial backing from a wealthy business mogul and her design future became more secure. Nontheless, by 1983, the business began to have financial problems and Westwood split from McLaren and joined ranks with her Italian business partner and now lover.

Since then, she has had various Signature looks including, witches, Harris tweed, and Cut, Slash and Pull. She has remained a vocal advocate of the underdogs and of societal maladies. Despite the success that she has ultimately achieved, she has remained true to her humble beginnings.

Today Viviennes Empire is vast. She has a semi-couture line, Gold Label; a ready to wear line, Red Label, and perfumes along with a successful range of knitwear and accessories. She was named British Designer of the year in 1990 and 1991. She was made Dame Vivienne Westwood in 2006.
She has moved on to other social issues, including climate change. In 2013 she rebranded the English National Ballet with costumes of her design.

If there is anything that can be said about Vivienne, she is a constant surprise and contradiction of terms. Ranging from the Sex Pistols to the National Ballet, and everything in between, she continually reinvents herself, even at the age of 73.