Vivienne Westwood blue striped Harris Tweed skirt suit, fw 1996
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 38 - UK 10 - US 6 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140211273162
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.
- Azzedine Alaia charcoal grey molten wool trouser suit, fw 1987By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GBPresenting an exquisite Azzedine Alaia charcoal grey molten wool trouser suit, a true masterpiece from the autumn-winter 1987 collection. This suit exemplifies the designer's impecca...Category
1980s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Vivienne Westwood cotton cropped jacket and bondage pant suit, S / S 1993By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB- Oversized cropped jacket - Pants with bondage straps, velcro and zip fastenings Spring-Summer 1993Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood blue and red striped skirt, blouse and tie ensemble ss 1996By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBOriginal Vivienne Westwood Gold Label ensemble featuring a blue an d red striped skirt, blouse, and very rare wide tie. Spring-summer 1996 Measurements: Shirt (UK 12) Shoulder - 2...Category
1990s British Skirt Suits
- Men's Vivienne Westwood blue striped Harris Tweed suit, fw 1996By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Vivienne Westwood Harris Tweed pant suit ▪ 100% wool ▪ Blue, navy and white stripes ▪ Single-breasted blazer jacket ▪ Two fro...Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Worlds End mens pantsuit, pirate collection, circa 1981By Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, Worlds EndLocated in London, GBA rare pantsuit by Worlds End, designed by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren, circa 1981. Pirate inspired design, blue, white and green striped cotto...Category
1980s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood 'Voyage to Cythera' harlequin leggings and shirt set, fw 1989By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood harlequin ensemble. Loose fit cotton shirt and high waist fitted leggings. ''Voyage to Cythera'' Fall-Winter 1989Category
1980s British Trouser Pant Suits
- CHANEL boutique Suit white cotton jacket and skirt late 80sBy Chanel BoutiqueLocated in Rubiera, REChanel Boutique vintage suit from the late 80s White piqué cotton Double-breasted jacket with buttons covered in the same fabric. Incrustations of sequins and lace flowers. Silk lin...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Jean Paul Gaultier Soleil S/S 2002 Vintage "Portraits" Wrap DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Berlin, DEJean Paul Gaultier Soleil S/S 2002 Vintage Pop art "Portraits" Mesh Madi Wrap Backless Dress SHIPPING FROM BERLIN The creme del la creme of my extensive collection. The most covet...Category
1990s European Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vintage White Oversized Opera CoatLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdd a little drama to your wardrobe with our incredible vintage opera coat! You don't need to be headed to the opera to enjoy a piece as amazing as ...Category
1960s American Opera Coats
- Chanel 1980's Rare Reversible Skirt SetBy ChanelLocated in Scottsdale, AZFeel cool and collected with this 80's era Chanel skirt set! This two-in-one ensemble is completely reversible for a whole new look making this Chanel...Category
1980s Italian Skirt Suits
- Issey Miyake Pleated Two Layer White with Black Contrast Pant SuitBy Issey MiyakeLocated in Oakland, CAIssey Miyake pleated jacket with pants. Two layer fabric: semi-sheer off-white over black. Top features hidden 5 button closures, chest ...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Trouser Pant Suits
- Escada White Cotton Stretch Denim Floral Embroidered Detail Flared Trousers MBy EscadaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2We have our eyes on this pair from Escada as it is very fashionable. The white jeans are detailed with floral embroidery and come made from stretch denim in a flared style. You can p...Category
2010s German Trouser Pant Suits
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.