Vivienne Westwood brown leather sheepskin puff sleeve jacket, fw 1995
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Small (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140210121622
Vivienne Westwood
For someone who regularly swatted away the industry that made her, audacious British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood certainly knew her way around a garment. And she knew how to provoke. “I don’t follow fashion,” Westwood once told the New York Times. “I’ve never been interested in it.” Collectors are certainly interested in her work, and vintage Vivienne Westwood dresses, handbags, lingerie and jackets have become very desirable over the years.
Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in a village in Derbyshire, in central England, but moved to London as a teen. In the early 1960s, she began to make her own necklaces and other jewelry and met an artist, activist and entrepreneur named Malcolm McLaren. They became involved romantically and she made clothes for him in the style of the Teddy Boys — the city’s music-crazed, occasionally violent teenagers at the time who wore high-waisted trousers and tailored velvet blazers that drew on Edwardian-era fashions.
Westwood and McLaren opened a vintage shop on King’s Road in London in 1971. The flared denim and peasant blouses of the 1960s, then still popular with the “peace and love” set, didn’t hold any weight for Westwood. Instead, she was interested in provocative, edgy apparel. She repaired used clothing and endeavored to create bold new designs from scratch.
Together Westwood and McLaren sold older rock-and-roll records, customized T-shirts with antiestablishment slogans, biker jackets and snug trousers inspired by the Marlon Brando film The Wild One as well as bondage fetish wear. The shop, once called Let It Rock and then Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die before Sex became a more appropriate moniker, evolved into a youth mecca. The DIY garments — zippered tops, burnt tees emblazoned with anarchist messages — flew off the shelves. More notably, it brought punk to the masses.
Westwood was soon dressing the Sex Pistols, a band that McLaren managed, all the while bridging the gap between music and fashion in a manner that has reverberated throughout the industry for decades.
In 1981, the couple’s first fashion show marked the debut of their Pirate collection — a swashbuckler-themed line that sprang from Westwood’s research into Indigenous Americans and the “power garments” of the Louis XIV era. The collection’s ample proportions and cutting-edge tailoring countered punk’s geometry and tight latex fits as well as what rocker Adam Ant called the “Puritanism” that plagued England at the time. The Pirate collection’s enduring influence on the world of fashion as well as the theatrical work of designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen is undeniable.
For the colorful corsets of her 1990 Portrait collection, Westwood drew on 18th-century oil paintings — her models donned the pearl necklaces that have become a social media star and a favorite of influencers and fashion lovers all over the world. For a jacket-and-shorts suit from her Fall/Winter 1996–97 Storm in a Teacup line, the designer used the extreme asymmetry of a tartan mash-up to confront, according to Westwood, “the horror of uniformity and minimalism.”
The self-taught Westwood enjoyed a rapid ascent in fashion, with British society embracing her looks and Vogue immortalizing them in its glossy pages. She garnered accolades for introducing corsets to the runway and dressed Kate Moss and Helena Bonham Carter. And an original Vivienne Westwood wedding dress is featured in 2008’s Sex and the City film.
The fires of political and environmental activism burned brightly for Westwood: She was a Greenpeace ambassador, having designed the organization’s official “Save the Arctic” logo; her clothing brand is committed to using recycled canvas and other eco-friendly materials in the production process; and in 2020, she protested the extradition of Julian Assange by suspending herself in a bird cage outside London’s Old Bailey court. But she will always be the grande dame of British design.
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Vivienne Westwood shirts, shoes, gowns and other items today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Men's Vivienne Westwood red cotton jacquard button-up jacket, fw 1997By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Vivienne Westwood button-up jacket ▪ Cotton jacquard in a fire patterned design ▪ Curved Raglan sleeves ▪ Cotton lining ▪ Size 50 ▪ ...Category
1990s Italian Jackets
- Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld blue and brown cowhide jacket and pants set, fw 1999By Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi, FendiLocated in London, GB▪ Fendi jacket and pants set ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Blue and brown cowhide ▪ Long sleeve zip-up jacket ▪ Crystal adornments to the collar ...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Dolce & Gabbana golden fox fur jacket, fw 2004By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana golden fox fur jacket ▪ Hook fastenings to front opening ▪ Wide sleeves ▪ Silk lining ▪ IT 44 - FR 40 - UK 12 - US 8 ▪ Fall-Winter ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- Worlds End tan leather Pirates double breasted waistcoat, fw 1981Located in London, GBWorlds End by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. Unisex tan leather double breasted waistcoat. Mandarin collar, ruffled hem with raw finish, matching leather buttons and cream co...Category
1980s British Jackets
- Koji Tatsuno chiffon smocked jacket with incased dried roses, fw 1991Located in London, GB▪ Koji Tatsuno chiffon smocked jacket ▪ 100% Polyester ▪ Incased dried rose buds ▪ Hook front fastenings ▪ Size Medium ▪ Fall-Winter 1991Category
1990s British Jackets
- Dolce & Gabbana fur and shearling jacket with multiple leather belts, fw 2001By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana beige fur and shearling jacket ▪ Multiple cream lambskin leather belts with gold buckles at the front, back and sleeves ▪ F...Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- Missoni Plaid Wrap CoatBy M MissoniLocated in Scottsdale, AZHow adorable is this Missoni plaid wrap coat?! The perfect jacket for nearly any time of year, this versatile and eye catching piece is calling your name! Missoni AW21 presents Missoni's signature knit this time in an incredible plaid made up of pinks, purples, oranges and yellows. Features a collar style at the neck which adds in an element of structure which is off set by the removable wrap tie coming from the back which allows for versatility with wear. The large front pockets are the finishing touch and ensure this jacket is as practical as it is stylish. Style this with its matching skirt pictured (sold separate), a Dior crop top and some Miu Miu kitten heels...Category
2010s Italian Jackets
- Bill Blass Ivory Lace Brocade Jacket Size 10 VintageBy Bill BlassLocated in West Palm Beach, FLBill Blass Ivory Lace Brocade Jacket - Size 10 Circa 90's. This gorgeous jacket is in excellent vintage condition. Measurements are: Bust 36" - 38" Wai...Category
1990s American Jackets
- Burberry London Tan Brown Youth Children's Zip Up Collared Light Sweater JacketBy BurberryLocated in Downey, CABurberry London Tan Brown Youth Children's Zip Up Collared Light Sweater Jacket With this Burberry Tan Plaid Collared Zip Sweater, you'll stay fabulous and warm these upcoming summe...Category
2010s Jackets
- Etro Taupe, Orange, Purple, & Green Silk Brocade Floral Pattern Jacket - S/40By EtroLocated in West Palm Beach, FLEtro Taupe, Orange, Purple, & Green Silk Brocade Floral Pattern Jacket - S/40. This lovely jacket is in excellent condition. It features a single-breasted front, a floral pattern, ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jackets
- Etro Runway Sleeveless Black & Beige Jacquard Button Down Minidress/Vest Sz 42By EtroLocated in Paradise Island, BSThis Etro Fall 2019 Runway sleeveless black and beige jacquard slim fit button down mini dress / vest is made of blended wool and features two small flap pockets and buttons along th...Category
2010s Italian Mini Dress
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Skirt Suit, circa 1990By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Toulon, FRYves Saint Laurent France circa 1990 Magnificent skirt suit by Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. 100% Linen 3 pearly buttons on each sleeve and two at the waist to bend the jacket two pockets at the waist and two chest...Category
1990s French Jackets
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Spirit Lives On in This ’90s Tartan Ensemble
The shorts suit in a mash-up of patterns with an asymmetrical cut speaks to the designer’s rebellious spirit.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.