Vivienne Westwood S/S 1997 grey asymmetric frayed wool jacket and skirt suit
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 16 (UK)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Rome, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2163218611752
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: Rome, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Gianfranco Ferré black lace-trim bustier and skirt set, late 90sBy Gianfranco FerréLocated in Rome, IT- Gianfranco Ferré, late 90s - Sold by Gold Palms Vintage - Black viscose top + skirt set - Sweetheart neckline short sleeve bustier top - Padded bra - Lace trim - Double-layered ski...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Roberto Cavalli F/W 2003 black & cheetah silk mermaid skirt suitBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Rome, IT- Roberto Cavalli skirt suit - Sold by Gold Palms Vintage - Fall/Winter 2003 - Black silk structured padded blazer - Crinkled cheetah button-up silk shirt with golden Taurus charms...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Prada S/S 1998 off-white pant suit with clip logo beltBy PradaLocated in Rome, IT- Prada by Miuccia Prada - Spring Summer 1998 collection - Off-white nylon pant suit - Structured blazer with velcro fastening - Slim fit trousers - Additio...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Roberto Cavalli S/S 2004 multicolor zebra print setBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Rome, IT- Roberto Cavalli jacket + sarong set - Sold by Gold Palms Vintage - Spring/Summer 2004 - Cotton button-up jacket - Fringed foulard (which can be styled at will) - Zebra print + abst...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Christian Dior by Marc Bohan F/W 1987 grey pinstripe Chinchilla fur skirt suitBy Christian DiorLocated in Rome, IT- Christian Dior by Marc Bohan - Fall Winter 1987 collection - Grey wool pinstripe jacket and skirt suit - Form-fitting hourglass tailored jacket - Wide notch lapels - Front flap poc...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Roberto Cavalli S/S 1999 cream glitter ombrè dress mesh + floral beaded cardiganBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Rome, IT- Mesh cardigan - Gold glitter spiderweb motif and yellow/pink floral print - Gold beaded trimming - Cream horizontal gradient dress - Gold glitter hues throughout - Spaghetti strapsCategory
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 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
- Gianni Versace Suit Pink Jacket Skirt Set 1990'sBy Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace Suit Pink Jacket Skirt Set 1990's 2 Piece - Jacket and Skirt co-ord. Waffle Suede Detail. Medusa Clear Buttons. Very Rare Piece. CONDITION: This item is a vintage...Category
1990s Skirt Suits
- 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
- 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
- Alexander McQueen Vintage Sequin Embellished Jumpsuit Fall/Winter 2003 Sz 38ITBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLAlexander McQueen Vintage Sequin Embellished Jumpsuit Fall/Winter 2003 Sz 38IT Jumpsuit is pictured with a Christian Dior Fall 1999 necklace not included.Category
Early 2000s Italian Jumpsuits