Vivienne Westwood blue and white checked cotton skirt suit, ss 1994
View Similar Items
Vivienne Westwood blue and white checked cotton skirt suit, ss 1994
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 40 - FR 36 - UK 8 - US 4 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140211846762
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.
- Gianni Versace grey checked wool pleated skirt and cropped jacket, ss 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace grey checked wool mini dress with box pleated skirt and 10 fabric buttons. Matching cropped double breasted jacket with peak lapels and 4 fabric button fastenings. ...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld orange bouclé wool dress and jacket set, fw 1995By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel orange bouclé wool dress and jacket set ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Mid-length sheath dress with v-neck ▪ Back vent with gold 'CC' buttons ▪ Silk lining ▪ Unlined ...Category
1990s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood unisex striped cotton bondage 3 piece pant suit, ss 1994By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood unisex blue and white striped cotton 'Cafe Society' 3 piece pant suit. Singled breasted blazer jacket with embroidered orb on patch pocket, slim fit pants with bond...Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Azzedine Alaia charcoal grey molten wool trouser suit, fw 1987By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GBPresenting an exquisite Azzedine Alaia charcoal grey molten wool trouser suit, a true masterpiece from the autumn-winter 1987 collection. This suit exemplifies the designer's impecca...Category
1980s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Ocimar Versolato haute couture light grey wool evening pant suit, fw 1998By Ocimar VersolatoLocated in London, GBPresenting a rare and exceptional piece from Ocimar Versolato's Autumn-Winter 1998 haute couture collection, the evening wool pant suit, a true embodi...Category
1990s French Trouser Pant Suits
- Vivienne Westwood Mens 'Cut, Slash and Pull' denim suit, ss 1991By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBIntroducing an iconic archival piece from Vivienne Westwood Men's 'Cut, Slash and Pull' Spring-Summer 1991 collection. This ensemble showcases the designer's revolutionary approach t...Category
1990s British Trouser Pant Suits
- D& G Dolce & Gabbana strech wool ensemble top & skirtBy D&G by DOLCE & GABBANALocated in Bilbao, ESDolce & Gabbana strech wool enseble top & skirt Incredibly elegant in an understated way. Size M READY TO SHIP *Shipment of this piece is not affected by COVID-19. Orders welcome!...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Twin Sets
- 70s Galanos Numbered Vintage 3pc Silk Chiffon Blue Floral Dress & Quilted JacketBy Galanos, James GalanosLocated in Portland, ORIf you love vintage James Galanos pieces, you will absolutely love this incredible vintage 1970's 3 pc Galanos outfit! This exquisite outfit includes outfit includes a beautiful blue...Category
1970s American Day Dresses
- 1970s Valentino Vintage 2pc Linen Dress Skirt & Top Outfit Linen w White PipingBy ValentinoLocated in Portland, ORThis vintage Valentino two piece linen dress is in as new condition and was made in France in the 1970's. This came from one of our favorite estates of all time and the original owne...Category
1970s French Day Dresses
- S/S 2000 Gucci by Tom Ford Black White Snake Logo Print Viscose Skirt SetBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an incredible grey snakeskin Gucci skirt set, designed by Tom Ford. From the Spring/Summer 2000 collection, this snakeskin print was heavily...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- S/S 2000 Gucci by Tom Ford Black White Snakeskin Logo Print Viscose Pant SetBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous grey snake print Gucci pant set, designed by Tom Ford. From the Spring/Summer 2000 collection, the season's runway was covered in the identical snakeskin print ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- S/S 2000 Gucci by Tom Ford Black White Snakeskin Logo Print Viscose Pant SetBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a fabulous grey snake print Gucci pant set, designed by Tom Ford. From the Spring/Summer 2000 collection, the season's runway was covered in the identical snakeskin print ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Spirit Lives On in This ’90s Tartan Ensemble
The shorts suit in a mash-up of patterns with an asymmetrical cut speaks to the designer’s rebellious spirit.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.