Vivienne Westwood brown tartan tweed skirt suit with sheepskin collar, fw 1995
View Similar Items
Vivienne Westwood brown tartan tweed skirt suit with sheepskin collar, fw 1995
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: IT 42 - FR 38 - UK 10 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140217940492
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.
- Vivienne Westwood purple velvet pant suit, A/W 1993By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB- tailored 3 button jacket with peplum - high waisted cigarette pants - hair print lining Autumn-Winter 1993Category
1990s British Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- John Galliano for Givenchy Autumn-Winter 1996 grey pinstripe strapless jumpsuitBy John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano for Givenchy Autumn-Winter 1996 grey pinstripe strapless jumpsuit - two hidden side pockets - internal wired bra - invisible...Category
1990s French Jumpsuits
- Romeo Gigli for Callaghan Spring-Summer 1991 silk pant and shawl ensembleBy Romeo GigliLocated in London, GBRomeo Gigli for Callaghan Spring-Summer 1991 silk pant and shawl ensembleCategory
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Jeanne Lanvin haute couture green tartan tweed coat and skirt set, c. 1940sBy Jeanne LanvinLocated in London, GBIntroducing an exquisite Jeanne Lanvin 1940s couture green and brown tartan tweed coat and skirt ensemble, a true gem that embodies the timeless elegance...Category
1940s French 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
- Vintage green and white houndstooth wool jumpsuit, c. 1960sLocated in London, GBPresenting a stylish green and white houndstooth wool jumpsuit, a timeless treasure dating back to the chic 1960s era. This jumpsuit exudes elegance and sophistication, showcasing th...Category
1960s Unknown Jumpsuits
- Vintage VALENTINO Boutique Couture Two Piece Ensemble Skirt Top 8By ValentinoLocated in Asheville, NCValentino Boutique, Material: Cotton/Linen? The material feels like hemp, Pleated Skirt, Zipper on Both Pieces, Two Pockets on Top, Three Buttons on the Top Measurements Laying Fla...Category
Late 20th Century French Skirt Suits
- Vintage PIERRE CARDIN Paris Couture 1960s Two Piece Ensemble Skirt Jacket 38By Pierre Cardin Paris, Pierre CardinLocated in Asheville, NCPierre Cardin, 100% Wool, 1960's Couture, Made in France, Asymmetrical Layered Design, Two Faceted Buttons, Pleated Skirt, Metal Zipper, Slit on Back of Skirt, Vintage 38 Measuremen...Category
1960s French Skirt Suits
$909 Sale Price30% Off - Vintage HALSTON 1970s Tropical Jersey 2 Piece Ensemble Skirt Halter Top OOAKBy HalstonLocated in Asheville, NCHalston, Vintage 1970's, Jersey Blend, Halter Top with Neck and Waist Tie, Metal Talon Zipper on Side of Skirt, One Pocket on Skirt, Vintage Size 10, Rare, One of a Kind! Measuremen...Category
1970s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
$2,800 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage NEIMAN MARCUS Couture 1970s Two Piece 100% CASHMERE Skirt Jacket 8By Neiman MarcusLocated in Asheville, NCNeiman Marcus, Vintage 1970's, 100% Cashmere, Made in USA, Union Tag, Fully Lined. Jacket - Four Mother of Pearl Buttons, Small Shoulder Pad. Skirt - A-Line, Two Pockets, One Butt...Category
1970s American Skirt Suits
- Vintage LOUIS FERAUD Couture Two Piece Ensemble Black CLASSIC Skirt Jacket 6By Louis FeraudLocated in Asheville, NCLouis Feraud, Fully Lined, 100% Viscose (Rayon Like) Jacket - Ten Gold-Tone Buttons, Short Sleeve, Scoop Neckline, Two Shallow Front Pockets, Shoulder Pads Skirt - Back Zipper with...Category
Late 20th Century French Skirt Suits
$260 Sale Price20% Off - Jean-Paul Gaultier Co-ord 1990s Soleil Flamingo Mesh Tank Top and Skirt SetLocated in London, GBJean-Paul Gaultier Co-ord 1990s Soleil Flamingo Mesh Tank Top and Skirt Set Rare 2-Piece Set - Tank Top and Skirt. Mesh Stretchy Material and Flattering Fit. CONDITION: This i...Category
1990s Skirt 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.