"Limited Edition"Vivienne Westwood Black & White Linen Plaid Deconstructed Skirt
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 42/England (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU247210498
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: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Oscar de la Renta Woven Skirt of Ribbon, Embroidery and BeadsBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in New York, NYThis wonderfully detailed Oscar de la Renta when first viewing seems like a typical skirt. But, when up close, you'll notice the combination of silk ribbons woth a floral print in co...Category
1970s American Pencil Skirts
- Marc Jacobs White Silk Pleated Zipper Front Mini SkirtBy Marc JacobsLocated in New York, NYMarc Jacobs white silk pleated mini skirt features a zipper front which opens up so the skirt can lay flat when not in use, and for easier wear...Category
1990s American Skirts
- Chanel Charcoal Gray Wool Blend Multi-Zipper Detailed Pencil SkirtBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYThis wonderful Chanel charcoal gray pencil skirt is accented with classic detailing such as fully lined two front zippered pockets as well as two back zippered pockets. The cen...Category
1990s French Pencil Skirts
- Jane McCartney black fringed skirtLocated in New York, NYJane McCartney fully-lined black fringed skirt with hand-done Macame detailing. The waist measures 26", waistband is 1", Both front and back length measu...Category
1980s Pencil Skirts
- Emanuel Ungro Metallic bronze leather skirtBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in New York, NYEmanuel Ungaro metallic bronze leather skirt is butter soft lambskin and fully lined. The center back zipper is 7", waist height is 1 1/4", waistband measures 25 1/2". The length on ...Category
1980s Italian Skirts
- Adolfo crepe de chine cocktail skirtBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo champagne silk crepe de chine evening skirt has a attached self-tie belt with tassels. The skirt is two layered with crepe de chine.The side zipp...Category
1970s Skirts
- Gucci pin denim wrap skirt indigo, ss 2000By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in Milano, IT- Designed by Tom Ford - Sold by Skof.Archive - Wrap mid-rise skirt - Pin detail with Gucci logo engraved - Spring Summer 2000 Size: FR 36 - IT 40 - UK 8 - US 4 (EU) Measuremen...Category
Early 2000s Italian Skirts
- Fendi S/S 2000 Embroidered Mesh SkirtBy Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld for FendiLocated in Milano, IT- Designed by Karl Lagerfeld - Sold by Skof.Archive - Pink and green geometric motif embroideries - Mesh nude above knee-length skirt - Nude nylon lining - Drawstring closure -...Category
Early 2000s Italian Skirts
- Rare D&G Printed Asian Scenes Runway Spring / Summer 2000By D&G by DOLCE & GABBANALocated in Venezia, ITRare D&G Printed Asian Scenes Runway Spring / Summer 2000 Size: 26 / 40 IT Materials: 95% Polyathylen 5% Spandex Waist: 34cm Length: 65cm - NO RETURNSCategory
Early 2000s Italian Pencil Skirts
- Yoly Munoz White Lace Maxi Skirt, 1980sLocated in Scottsdale, AZYour perfect summer skirt has arrived with our amazing 1980s white lace maxi skirt from designer Yoly Munoz. Made of a white cotton and sheer lace fabric, s...Category
1980s American Skirts
- Jean-Claude Jitrois Couture Leather Fur Trim SkirtBy Jean-Claude JitroisLocated in Scottsdale, AZFeel All Of The 80s Vibes In This Leather Skirt! Circa 1980s, this custom couture numbered 10829 Jean Claude Jitrois skirt is crafted from white leather and features a peplum bottom with a fox fur trim and zipper/snap button closure on the back. Sure to keep you cozy at all your winter getaways, this skirt will pair perfectly with your favorite vintage band tee and funky Dior boots...Category
1980s French Skirts
- Vivienne Westwood blue and yellow cotton striped button up mini skirtBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood blue and yellow cotton striped button up mini skirt - Orb buttons ca. 1988 - 1994Category
1990s British Skirts