Post by mrsfawlty on Dec 29, 2022 22:30:58 GMT
Vivienne Westwood: Pioneering fashion designer dies aged 81
Published
12 minutes ago
By Andre Rhoden-Paul
BBC News
British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.
In a statement on Twitter, her fashion house said she died "peacefully and surrounded" by her family in Clapham, south London.
Westwood made her name with her controversial punk and new wave styles in the 1970s and went on to dress some of the biggest names in fashion.
Her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: "I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.
"We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with."
Dame Vivienne Westwood - the godmother of punk
Westwood came to prominence on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan t-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.
She was known as a staunch activist and brought causes she cared about, like climate change, to the catwalk.
The designer was made a Dame for services to fashion in 2006.
Derbyshire-born Westwood worked as a primary school teacher, before setting up clothing shop Let It Rock on King's Road in Chelsea with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in the early 1970s.
The business was later renamed Sex and in late 1975, McLaren began managing a punk rock band made up of shop regulars - the Sex Pistols. They shot to fame wearing Westwood and McLaren's designs.
Tributes have started to pour in for the legendary designer from the world of fashion, politics and showbusiness.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, which houses some of her works, described Westwood as a "true revolutionary and rebellious force in fashion".
Fashion photographer Mario Testino described her "humble, funny, and inspiring beyond".
TV presenter Jonathan Ross tweeted: "RIP the great Vivienne Westwood. Unique. Brilliant. Uncompromising. Thanks Viv."
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan wrote on Twitter: "A sad day, Vivienne Westwood was and will remain a towering figure in British fashion.
"Her punk style rewrote the rule book in the 1970s and was widely admired for how she stayed true to her own values throughout her life."
Co-leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas said: "Such a legend, a huge inspiration, brilliantly creative and always a committed activist for people and planet - my thoughts are with her family and friends - RIP."
Westwood's later designs were frequently worn by famous faces. They included model Dita Von Teese who dressed in her purple gown to marry singer Marilyn Manson, and Princess Eugenie who wore three Westwood designs for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine.
As well as climate change, the designer was a vocal supporter for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act. In July 2020, she dressed in canary yellow in a giant bird cage warning over an Assange "stitch up".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64122181
************************************************************************
She was truly one of a kind! Rest in Peace, you little punkette! x
Published
12 minutes ago
By Andre Rhoden-Paul
BBC News
British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.
In a statement on Twitter, her fashion house said she died "peacefully and surrounded" by her family in Clapham, south London.
Westwood made her name with her controversial punk and new wave styles in the 1970s and went on to dress some of the biggest names in fashion.
Her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: "I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.
"We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with."
Dame Vivienne Westwood - the godmother of punk
Westwood came to prominence on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan t-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.
She was known as a staunch activist and brought causes she cared about, like climate change, to the catwalk.
The designer was made a Dame for services to fashion in 2006.
Derbyshire-born Westwood worked as a primary school teacher, before setting up clothing shop Let It Rock on King's Road in Chelsea with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in the early 1970s.
The business was later renamed Sex and in late 1975, McLaren began managing a punk rock band made up of shop regulars - the Sex Pistols. They shot to fame wearing Westwood and McLaren's designs.
Tributes have started to pour in for the legendary designer from the world of fashion, politics and showbusiness.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, which houses some of her works, described Westwood as a "true revolutionary and rebellious force in fashion".
Fashion photographer Mario Testino described her "humble, funny, and inspiring beyond".
TV presenter Jonathan Ross tweeted: "RIP the great Vivienne Westwood. Unique. Brilliant. Uncompromising. Thanks Viv."
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan wrote on Twitter: "A sad day, Vivienne Westwood was and will remain a towering figure in British fashion.
"Her punk style rewrote the rule book in the 1970s and was widely admired for how she stayed true to her own values throughout her life."
Co-leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas said: "Such a legend, a huge inspiration, brilliantly creative and always a committed activist for people and planet - my thoughts are with her family and friends - RIP."
Westwood's later designs were frequently worn by famous faces. They included model Dita Von Teese who dressed in her purple gown to marry singer Marilyn Manson, and Princess Eugenie who wore three Westwood designs for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine.
As well as climate change, the designer was a vocal supporter for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act. In July 2020, she dressed in canary yellow in a giant bird cage warning over an Assange "stitch up".
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64122181
************************************************************************
She was truly one of a kind! Rest in Peace, you little punkette! x
RIP
