VIVIENNE WESTWOOD 00's Iconic Bustier
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 52 in (132.08 cm)Marked Size: IT 40 (NA)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3865221515012
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: Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- AZZEDINE ALAÏA FW 91 Iconic Knitted Body with Anatomical a Jour EmbroideryBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Milano, MILANOFall Winter 1991 rare and iconic knitted body with anatomical a jour embroidery by Azzedine Alaïa. Zip at the back. Snap buttons. The composition is 90% vis...Category
1990s French Bodysuits
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SS 00 Rare Embroidered RedingoteBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Milano, MILANO2000 Spring Summer rare cutout embroidered redingote from "The Eye" collection by Alexander McQueen. Detachable bell sleeves and split at the back. Braided button closure at the fron...Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- VIVIENNE WESTWOOD FW 94 Rare Crochet Stockings and BagBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Milano, MILANOFall Winter 1994 rare crochet set from "On Liberty" Collection by Vivienne Westwood. Stockings and bag with raffia flowers and tassels. The composition is ...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- JOHN GALLIANO SS 1991 Iconic Leather Flared TrousersBy John GallianoLocated in Milano, MILANOSpring Summer 1991 iconic leather flared trousers by John Galliano. Small flap pockets at the front. Zip and hook closure at the front. Fully lined. The composition tag is missing, s...Category
1990s Pants
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN SS 97 Iridescent Taffeta SuitBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Milano, MILANOSpring Summer 1997 rare iridescent taffeta suit from “Bellmer la Poupée” Collection by Alexander McQueen. Shirt with armadillo effect at collar and cuffs. High folded collar with col...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- DOLCE & GABBANA 90's Rare Pinstripe Bustier SuitBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Milano, MILANO90's rare pinstripe bustier suit by Dolce&Gabbana. Bustier with whalebones. Tulle shoulder straps and lining. Hooks closure at back. Five pockets short length trousers. The compositi...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- DYED PETALS Vintage Hand Botanically Dyed Tie-Dyed Slip Dress S/M 36Located in Asheville, NCThe DYED PETALS Collection (vintage, upcycled, and custom-made fashion using natural dyes and colorants), is designed and offered exclusively by PARPARIAN....Category
Mid-20th Century Slips
- Vintage CLARE SANDRA LUCIE ANN Pink Nightgown Off Shoulder Pleated 36By Lucie AnnLocated in Asheville, NCClaire Sandra by Lucie Ann, Beverly Hills, Maxi Style Nightgown, Off Shoulder, Butter Soft Nylon, Tie In Back to Cinch Waist, Pleated Front, Balloon Sleeves, Size 36 Measurements La...Category
1960s Loungewear
- RARE Vintage Unisex Japanese Long Robe Kimono SilkLocated in Asheville, NCUnbranded, Kimono, Silk, Impeccably Lined, Weighted Lapels, Hidden Pattern in Geometric Weave, Rare & Beautiful Vintage Measurements Laying Flat Chest: 24" Wrist to Wrist: 49" Leng...Category
Early 20th Century Robes
- Vintage UNFORGETTABLE Babydoll Nightie SEXY Nightgown Red Lace Bow SATIN SmallLocated in Asheville, NCUnforgettable, Nylon, Lace and Satin, Bow in Front, Tie in Back, Adjustable Straps, No Size Measurements Laying Flat (Has Stretch) Bust 17.5" Waist 17" Length 28" (at shoulder)Category
Late 20th Century Negligees
- DYED PETALS Vintage Hand Botanically Dyed Tie-Dyed Slip Dress S/M 34Located in Asheville, NCThe DYED PETALS Collection (vintage, upcycled, and custom-made fashion using natural dyes and colorants), is designed and offered exclusively by PARPARIAN....Category
Mid-20th Century Slips
- DYED PETALS Vintage Hand Botanically Dyed Tie-Dyed Slip Dress XS/S 32Located in Asheville, NCThe DYED PETALS Collection (vintage, upcycled, and custom-made fashion using natural dyes and colorants), is designed and offered exclusively by PARPARIAN....Category
Mid-20th Century Slips