Vivienne Westwood. 1 April to 11 July 2004
'I have kind of a in-built clock which always reacts against anything orthodox' Vivienne Westwood
The Early Years | Maturity

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, OBE

Vivienne Westwood's overriding gift to fashion is her conviction that clothing can change the way people think. 'The real link that connects all my clothes is this idea of the heroic.' It is this vitality that is unique, rather than her cut and construction, original as they are.

Her career has been a self education, and her collections have closely followed her own discovery of the past, through literature, music and the applied arts. She has taken her fans and followers on a similar journey. Many of those involved with Westwood in the early days remain dedicated today.

The Vivienne Westwood company is independent and highly successful. Vivienne oversees every aspect of it and has become the 'grande dame' of British fashion. She has come a long way from Punk, but as she said at the time of the 1981 Pirate collection, 'I realised 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.'

1990 Designer of the Year
1991 Designer of the Year
1991 OBE
1998 Queen's Award for Export Achievement