Our thanks to everyone who submitted questions to Vivienne Westwood and exhibition curator Claire Wilcox. We had an overwhelming response and a selection of your questions are answered below.


When can you see yourself retiring from the fashion industry, if ever?

In 1981, at the time of the Pirate collection, Westwood said, 'I realized I could do anything I liked. It was only a question of how I did it that would make it original. I realised then that I could go on forever.'


As a designer, do you suffer from moments of creative block? If so, how do you overcome them and still manage to push yourself further?

Vivienne Westwood overcomes creative block through hard work and research. The entire Exhibition collection from spring/summer 2004 was created in only two weeks. Westwood said after the show that, although she had it all down on paper, it was only afterwards that she realised what a wonderful collection she had achieved.


As a child did you dream of a life like this?

As a child Westwood remembers seeing a lady wearing the New Look, launched by Parisian fashion designer Christian Dior. The impression stayed with her, and in later years she has paid tribute to Dior in many collections. As a teenager in the 1950s, she made many of her own clothes - such as a long, fitted black wool 'New Look' dress - and customised her grammar-school uniform to emulate the new pencil skirt; she said, 'It was a new thing, putting that on was such a symbol of sexuality.'


What inspires Westwood?

Westwood's inspiration changes all the time, but since the 1980s she has found inspiration in the V&A's collections of fashion, furniture and paintings.


Many of us feel empowered, and become our stronger selves, when we wear your clothes. Is that a marvellous by-product of your design or a conscious part of it?

Vivienne Westwood believes that clothing can change the way people think. She has a great faith in fashion as personal propaganda, saying, 'You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes.'


I would love to know how Vivienne Westwood got into the world of fashion.

Westwood became involved in fashion through her partnership with Malcolm McLaren in the early 1970s. Malcolm opened a shop selling rock and roll gear and Westwood started making clothes for the shop. Fashion, in her words, became 'a baby I picked up and never put down.'


What impact do you think your designs have had upon the perception of women and their role within society?

For Westwood, women can cut as dashing and heroic a figure as men. She has said, 'I've never thought it powerful to be like a second-rate man. Femininity is stronger, and I don't understand why people keep plugging this boring asexual body.'


How would you describe your exhibition at the V&A?

In an article in March 2004's 'POP' magazine, Westwood described the exhibition as 'mindboggling, incredible, amazing and a revelation.'


Before you did 'Let It Rock', what clothes did you like/wear?

From early on Westwood was a confident dresser, saying, 'I always wanted to cut a dash.' Her mother remembered that 'even at 16 she would wear unusual clothes.' When she met Malcolm McLaren, she started to wear mohair sweaters and tight jeans.


Is it true that you design generally for hourglass shapes?

Nigella Lawson recently said in an article for 'You' magazine that 'Vivienne is such a clever cutter shat she really flatters an hourglass figure…. She understands real women and their needs.'


Do you ever design with the over 50s woman in mind?

Westwood's designs were recently described by Jibby Beane, a 62-year-old model and gallery owner, as 'witty, sexy, subversive, glamorous and timeless.' She added, 'Whether you're 19 or 90, her clothes will make you feel fabulous.'


I moved to London in 1982, and visited the mud shop for inspiration; I then went to Kensington and Camden markets to try and copy the style. Did you mind being the inspiration for impecunious students who couldn't afford your clothes but wanted to learn about the styles you were using?

Westwood approved of her ideas being taken up by punk rock fans who could not afford her clothes and improvised with bin liners and home-dyed hair.


What kind of outfit would you like to have designed for you?

Westwood wears her own clothes but sometimes sports a silk handkerchief from Tie Rack around her neck.


Most people mellow with age, with their views becoming less dramatic or outspoken. Do you feel that your best work was produced in your rebellious youth or do you feel time has improved your work whilst retaining its youthful and fresh approach?

Westwood loves all of her collections but is always most enthusiastic about the latest one. She is forward thinking by instinct and always produces adventurous and thought-provoking collections.


What is your favourite fabric to work with and why?

Westwood thinks silk taffeta is the most modern of fabrics. She rarely bothers to hang her silk dresses up when travelling, explaining that they look marvellous worn straight from the suitcase.