S/S 1995 Vivienne Westwood 'Erotic Zones' Collection Velvet Skirt
View Similar Items
S/S 1995 Vivienne Westwood 'Erotic Zones' Collection Velvet Skirt
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4 - 6 (US)
- Period:
- Condition:In very good vintage condition, with very minor wear throughout interior of halter top, and two pin-sized holes on interior of corset (not visible when worn).
- Seller Location:North Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3084219115462
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.
- S/S 1994 Vivienne Westwood Denim Skirt Set with Bleached Floral PatternBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 1994 Vivienne Westwood 'Cafe Society' Collection denim skirt set with bleached floral pattern throughout. Button-up collared long sleeve cotton denim jacket pairs with matching d...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- S/S 1988 Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Iridescent Beaded SetBy Paco RabanneLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 1988 Paco Rabanne Haute Couture iridescent beaded bustier, skirt, and earring set. Structured strapless bustier featuring beaded 'fringe...Category
1980s Skirt Suits
- S/S 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen Blue and White Houndstooth PantsuitBy GivenchyLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen blue and white micro houndstooth patterned pantsuit. Jacket features two center front button closures and functional side flap pockets, with wh...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- A/W 1992 Vivienne Westwood Rolls Royce Denim Jacket and Pant SetBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1992 Vivienne Westwood 'Always on Camera' Collection Rolls Royce printed jacket and jeans set. Denim printed jacket with red contrast stitching throughout. Signature Vivienne Wes...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- A/W 1994 Vivienne Westwood Peach Knit Top and Hat SetBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1994 Vivienne Westwood 'On Liberty' Collection peach knit top and hat set. Openwork crochet knit silk-cotton top with elbow-length sleeves and ruffle trim neckline pairs with mat...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- A/W 1994 Louis Feraud Haute Couture Embellished Embroidered Floral JumpsuitBy Louis FeraudLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1994 Louis Feraud Haute Couture ecru heavily embellished embroidered macrame floral jumpsuit, with gold, pearl, rhinestone and sequin details throughout. Scoop neck long sleeve j...Category
1990s Jumpsuits
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SS 2001 co-ord mesh shirt and trousers Bacteria printBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Genève, CHCo-ord set with iconic Bacteria print from Gaultier SS 2001, fantastic condition. Made in Italy. Set is Top is in size XL, made of extremely flexible polyamide mesh and can fit from...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
$569 Sale Price20% Off - Kenzo Jungle Velvet Red SuitBy Kenzo JungleLocated in London, GBKenzo Jungle Red Suit Jacket Blazer Skirt Floral Velvet Suit Jacket and Skirt Co-Ord Set Velvety Rose Pattern Detail CONDITION: This item is a vintage/pre-worn piece so some sign...Category
1990s Skirt Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana Suit Grey Leopard Blazer Jacket Skirt SuitBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana Suit Grey Leopard Blazer Jacket Skirt Suit CONDITION: This item is a vintage/pre-worn piece so some signs of natural wear and age are to be expected. However good ...Category
1990s Skirt Suits
- Vintage 1940's plum wool crepe skirt suit tailored burgundy suit UK 8-10 US 4-6Located in Cheltenham, GBRendered in the deepest shade of plum in a wonderful crepe wool weave, this original 1940's skirt suit, is just the perfect ensemble for your tailored wardrobe. The deep V shaped ne...Category
1940s Skirt Suits
- Louis Vuitton Dark Gray Skirt Suit with Velvet Trim F/W 2005 Size 38FRBy Louis VuittonLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLLouis Vuitton - Runway collection skirt suit Fall/Winter 2005. This dark gray wool suit is trimmed with velvet and a powerful statement! . Simple yet dynamic in structure and eleg...Category
Early 2000s French Skirt Suits
- Christian Dior John Galliano Spring 2003 Skirt & Spring 2000 Top Size 44FRBy John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLChristian Dior John Galliano Spring 2003 Skirt & Spring 2000 Top Size 44FRCategory
Early 2000s French Skirt Suits