Vivienne Westwood dies at 81. THREADS Editor Benedetta pays tribute to the UK’s greatest sartorial time traveller.

The United Kingdom  has recently lost one of its brightest and most beloved children: fashion designer, activist and Priestess of Punk, Dame Vivienne Westwood.

A strong-headed, clear-eyed and rebellious daughter, who realised early on in her career the importance of playing with and remixing the past. From putting her own unique spin on the Harris tweed and tartan fabrics, to bondage accessories reminiscent of 20th military wear. In a career spanning more than 34 years, Vivienne Westwood demonstrated a peculiar ability — possessed by only a few blessed ones —  of looking at the past in the eye and seeing something malleable, that could be adapted for the future. Remaining true to her punk-infused vision, the designer crafted a world of pirates and rococo queens, all wearing unique pieces that, to this day, remain some of the most coveted fashion items worldwide; just ask Jonathan Valencia, owner of vintage shop Pechuga Vintage.

A Vivienne Westwood fashion show, however, wasn’t just the glitzy showcasing of a new collection: every piece told a story. Watching them now, particularly Anglomania 1993, the eyes are glued to the garments as well as the models, who appeared to be acting and interpreting different characters; or simply allowing themselves to act out their own fantasies, and have fun. It is no coincidence that perhaps some of the most iconic moments in fashion history happened on VW runways, from a topless Kate Moss eating a Magnum ice-cream, to Naomi Campbell’s infamous 1993 fall (fun fact: other designers asked Naomi to intentionally fall for them after that, but she refused).

Within her constellation of timeless pieces and iconic moments, there is one item that has conquered the hearts of many Vivienne-fanatics, celebrity or not (myself included): the 90s Boucher-era corset. It first made its debut during the Vivienne Westwood AW90 show, inspired by François Boucher’s 18th-century painting, Daphnis and Chloe, but with consumers’ rising interest in vintage pieces, the print has been gracing my Instagram feed on a daily basis — with no complaints here.

In 2017, Vivienne fused her menswear shows with her womenswear’s but Boucher’s work has also been at the centre of academic discussions regarding his representation of gender, particularly his depiction of masculinity, with his male figures often defined as ‘effeminate’ and ‘feminine’ — and often criticised by some critics of the time as being too gender ambiguous. Boucher is also well known for his reimagination of the pastoral, an art genre that usually depicts idyllic scenes,  to which he introduced elements of eroticism and sensuality. Daphnis and Chloe, the painting that inspired Westwood, depicts two half-naked figures, one languidly staring at the other, almost guarding over her. A tender eroticism, mixed with sentimentality.

The works of another French Rococo painter, Antoine  Watteau were instead the inspiration behind the famous Watteau evening dress: the opulent, three-piece green gown that once adorned the body of Linda Evangelista on the runway featuring a single off-shoulder cut, corset, and draping à la polonaise. The kind of dress one might daydream about after watching Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006).

The Boucher print and Watteau dress are, however, only two examples of the British designer’s  interest in the past (to which the V&A have dedicated an entire exhibition) and her talent of remoulding it according to her own taste and deep understanding of the youth having been herself not only part, but the widely-recognised Queen of an iconic youth subculture.

Vivienne Westwood’s career is a dress worn inside out: every seam and label visible, every victory, every loss, every scream and act of defiance there for the rest of the world to see and admire. To inspire, make change, and to say “fuck you, I am unapologetically myself” — and that Dame Westwood was. An unapologetically punk, pirate and rococo queen. Until the end.

credits

words — benedetta mancusi

design — karina so.