Vivienne Westwood 'Grand Hotel' metallic gold painted denim jacket, ss 1993
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: M (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Melbourne, AU
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3625220250482
Vivienne Westwood
For someone who regularly swats away the industry that made her, audacious British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood certainly knows her way around a garment. And she knows how to provoke. “I don’t follow fashion,” Westwood once told the New York Times. “I’ve never been interested in it.”
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 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.
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’s dressed Kate Moss and Helena Bonham Carter, and a wedding dress that she created is featured in 2008’s Sex and the City film.
Today, the fires of political and environmental activism burn brightly for Westwood: She is 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 handbags, shoes, evening dresses and other items today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Melbourne, Australia
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Thierry Mugler monogram denim jacket, c. 1998By Thierry MuglerLocated in Melbourne, AUA Thierry Mugler Monogrammed Denim Jacket, circa 1998. This garment is one of very few pieces that feature the Thierry Mugler monogram. Additional to the monogram, another iconic des...Category
1990s Jackets
- John Galliano 'Fallen Angels' grey pinstripe vest, ss 1986By John GallianoLocated in Melbourne, AUA John Galliano pinstripe vest, spring-summer 1986 'Fallen Angels'. This incredibly rare and early garment is from Galliano's second runway show—his fourth collection. Featuring a rounded collar and mini lapel, the standout feature of this vest is the trio of swirling 'Fimo' plasticene buttons crafted by artist Dave Baby. Reflecting Galliano's student work experience with Savile Row tailor Tommy Nutter...Category
1980s English Vests
- John Galliano black rose jacket, fw 1987By John GallianoLocated in Melbourne, AUThis John Galliano single-breasted loose jacket from Fall-Winter 1987 ‘The Rose Collection’ is an important example of the designers craftsmanship and design. Made from black wool ...Category
1980s British Single-Breasted Jackets
- John Galliano 'The Ludic Games' spencer jacket & oversized shirt pair, fw 1985By John GallianoLocated in Melbourne, AUA John Galliano spencer jacket and oversized shirt pair, fall-winter 1985 'The Ludic Games'. These incredibly rare and early garments, worn together, are from Galliano's first runway show—his third collection. The collection inspired by Angela Carter’s 1984 novel, Nights at the Circus, juxtaposed London’s East End costermongers with rebellious farmers from the English countryside. The spencer jacket is cut bust-length and wide over the shoulders, designed by Galliano to be worn inside out and upside down. Made from navy jumbo needlecord it features Galliano’s signature broad, irregularly-notched lapels and elongated sleeves—a staple in his designs from this era. The definitive feature of this jacket however, are the two hanging wine corks wrapped in twine, used as a decorative fastener. On the backside, a striped flannelette fabric is used, symbolising the image of a country mother taking her children to school whilst still in her pyjamas. The oversized shirt was a main feature of this collection, worn on its own as well as underneath the spencer jackets. This particular shirt is made of flannelette in two tones, light blue and beige. It features an asymmetrical design with the placket turning diagonally three buttons down at the waist. Seams at the backside of the garment also follow this direction creating a triangular pointed pocket on the left hip. This technique was reused in skirts for Galliano’s first collection at Christian Dior in 1997. Both garments feature the iconic Galliano '1' label only found in garments from this period. Due to their rarity, pieces featuring this label are often only found in museum collections. Jackets of this style feature in the following: John Galliano, The Ludic Game, catwalk invitation, 1985 The Face, June, London, 1985, p.3 Kerry Taylor...Category
1980s English Cropped Jackets
- Christian Dior by John Galliano navy silk brocade & lace skirt, fw 1997By John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Melbourne, AUA Christian Dior by John Galliano ‘’Dior’s Little Sweetheart Pin-Ups” navy skirt, fall-winter 1997. Crafted from a luxurious silk brocade, this skirt is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of the Christian Dior atelier. Black floral lace vents are nestled beneath the skirt's pleats, revealing their intricacy as the garment...Category
1990s French Flare Skirts
- Comme Des Garcons bias cut satin jersey dress, ss 1986By Comme des GarçonsLocated in Melbourne, AUThis Comme Des Garcons satin jersey dress from the Fall-Winter 1986 Bias Cutting collection is a great example of the brand’s innovative approach to fashion design. Renowned for thei...Category
1980s Japanese Day Dresses
- Louis Vuitton Logo Limited Edition Travel Hoodie JacketBy Louis VuittonLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLTailored from a comfortable technical cotton jersey, this iconic button up travel hoodie features a metallic silver reflective Louis Vuitton logo pe...Category
Early 2000s Italian Sport Jackets
- Azzedine Alaïa Vintage S/S 1992 Runway Coral Corset Jacket DocumentedBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Berlin, BEIconic documented vintage Azzedine Alaïa Spring Summer 1992 runway corset jacket in the most beautiful rare coral colour! AS seen on the Spring Summer 1992 runway show and worn by model Beverly Peele for Vogue issue...Category
1990s French Blazers
- SAINT LAURENT By HEDI SLIMANE F/W 2013 Military Style JacketBy Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent, Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BESaint Laurent by Hedi Slimane F/W 2013 Military Jacket Brand: Saint Laurent Designer: Hedi Slimane Collection / Year: F/W 2013 Fabric: Wool / Silk Color: Black Size: 46 Incredible military inspired jacket by Saint Laurent. Designed by Hedi Slimane for his Fall Winter 2013 collection. Utilitarian and smart. Made from wool and lined in silk. It features a double-breasted closure with nautical antiqued anchor...Category
2010s French Pea Coats
- SAINT LAURENT By HEDI SLIMANE Rare F/W 2015 Black Glitter BlazerBy Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent, Saint LaurentLocated in Berlin, BESAINT LAURENT by HEDI SLIMANE Rare F/W 2015 Black Glitter Blazer Brand: Saint Laurent Designer: Hedi Slimane Collection / Year: F/W 2015 Fabric: Wool / Cupro / Silk Color: Black Siz...Category
2010s French Blazers
- DIOR HOMME By HEDI SLIMANE 2006 Safari Blazer 46By Dior Homme, Hedi SlimaneLocated in Berlin, BEDior Homme by Hedi Slimane 2006 Safari Blazer 46 Brand: Dior Homme Designer: Hedi Slimane Collection / Year: 2006 / 2007 Fabric: Outer: Cotton Color: Dark navy Size: 46 Dior Homme Safari inspired blazer. Designed by Hedi Slimane. Excellent military / safari inspired design. Features structured shoulders, epaulettes and Four front pockets. Front button closure and notched lapels. Made from cotton. Label reads 6EH, style corresponds to Dior Homme Spring 2007 collection. A unique and smart wardrobe staple to dress up or down. Size Information: Marked size 46 Measured flat and across Shoulders 45.5cm Chest 47cm Waist 46.5cm Length (measured from centre back) 75cm Arm length (outer-seam) 67cm Arm length (inner-seam) 48cm This Dior Homme 2006...Category
Early 2000s French Blazers
- Rare ESKANDAR NWT Binish Jacket VIRGIN WOOL LINEN Paisley Black Size 1By EskandarLocated in Asheville, NCEskandar, 2018 Collection, Binish Jacket, Decorative Metal Buttons, Two Front Pockets, One Extra Button, Paisley Design inside Collar and at the Cuff, Made in Poland, Drop Shoulder, ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary English Jackets