1990s Vivienne Westwood Black and Blue Cardigan
About the Item
- Designer:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Toronto, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU228216343092
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: Toronto, Canada
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 1980s Krizia Brown Knit Tunic Length Sweater with LeopardBy KriziaLocated in Toronto, OntarioKrizia tunic length sweater from the 1980s. Sheer dark chocolate brown knit with a large illustration of a leopard laying on an asymmetrical ledge. Below the illustration, the sweate...Category
1980s Italian Pullovers
- 1980s Sonia Rykiel Cashmere/Cotton Mix Navy Blue CardiganBy Sonia RykielLocated in Toronto, Ontario1980s Sonia Rykiel cotton/cashmere blend knit cardigan. Navy blue with contrasting white at cuffs and interior of horizontal slit pockets. Crewneck with matching blue buttons. Ribbe...Category
1980s French Cardigans
- 1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Striped Boiled Wool CardiganBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Toronto, OntarioJean Paul Gaultier Maille boiled wool long cardigan from the early 1990s. Black, pale blue, brown and cream thick stripes. Open front with hanky hem and large patch pockets. Unlined....Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
- 1980s Karl Lagerfeld Grey Knit Sweater with Classical Roman FiguresBy Karl LagerfeldLocated in Toronto, Ontario1980s Karl Lagerfeld knit sweater. Grey with cream trim at cuffs and hem. Centre features a scene of a classic Roman Empire man and woman. Oversized with slouchy turtleneck collar an...Category
1980s French Pullovers
- 1970's Marelli Black Wool Ribbed Cardigan With Tan AccentsLocated in Toronto, Ontario1970's ribbed wool cardigan by Italian luxury knitwear company Marelli. These cardigans are very similar in style to Celine from the same era with similar beautiful details. Gilt met...Category
1970s Italian Cardigans
- 1990's Hermes Knit and Silk VestBy HermèsLocated in Toronto, Ontario1990’s Hermes black merino wool knit vest with silk scarf front featuring ‘la fetes du roi soleil’ print. Three gold tone Hermes signed buttons. In excellent condition. Fits like US...Category
1990s French Sweater Vests
- F/W 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford Double Buckle Black Knit Wool Cardigan TopBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an open black knit Gucci cardigan, designed by Tom Ford. From the Fall/Winter 1998 collection, this incredible cardigan features two closures at the front, each marked 'Gucci', which tactfully leave the sweater slightly open. The sweater is made complete with diagonal perforated stripe details at the front. A rare piece of early Gucci...Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
- Dolce&Gabbana Turtle Neck Wool Acrylic Knit Men Sweater Size 50IT(Slim M)By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Kaunas, LTItem for sale is 100% genuine Dolce&Gabbana Turtle Neck Warm Sweater Color: Brown/Grey (An actual color may a bit vary due to individual computer screen interpretation) Material: 50%...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Pullovers
- Vintage Mens Dolce and Gabbana paint stripe cardiganBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in NEWARK, GBA rare vintage mens Dolce and Gabbana paint stripe cardigan. Dark navy blue wool mix in a chunky knit with a striking white 'paint' stripe design front...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cardigans
- Gucci Hollywood Blue Sweater MulticolorBy GucciLocated in Torre Del Greco, ITSweater signed Gucci, out of production, made of blue wool with multicolor lettering. Size L. It is in excellent condition.Category
2010s Pullovers
- OSCAR DE LA RENTA Grey Embellished Cashmere Cardigan Size XSBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis Oscar De La Renta is composed of a grey knit. Features an embellished neckline with hook & eye closures. In excellent condition. **Please cross-reference measurements for perso...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Sweaters
- Sonia Rykiel "Mille Et Une Nuits" Red and Black Wool SweaterLocated in Los Angeles, CASonia Rykiel sweater Red and black wool "Mille Et Une Nuits" knit design with gold "U" Made in ItalyCategory
Late 20th Century Italian Pullovers