Vivienne Westwood nude body stocking with perspex fig leaf, A / W 1989
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: M (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14024228773
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Christian Dior by John Galliano floral silk chiffon top and skirt set, fw 2001By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior top and skirt set ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Floral printed silk chiffon in shades of cream, pink and brown ▪ Top with bugle beads sewn over denim-printed silk ▪...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior by John Galliano embellished suede waistcoat and skirt, ss 2005By John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior waistcoat and skirt set ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Constructed from cream suede ▪ Pink fl...Category
Early 2000s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Jean Paul Gaultier cream linen three piece pant suit, ss 1997By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GBJean Paul Gaultier cream linen three piece pant suit comprising: double breasted blazer jacket, bolero sleeve-jacket attaches with a button of the jacket, and wide leg pants. Spring...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Roberto Cavalli multicoloured face printed metallic cotton pant suit, ss 2001By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GBRoberto Cavalli multicoloured face printed metallic cotton pant suit comprising: blazer jacket and matching low-rise pants. Spring-Summer 2001Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Martin Margiela stockman corset runway ensemble, fw 1997By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GBMartin Margiela runway ensemble comprising: Stockman corset, cream velvet 'basting' jacket, red acetate slip dress, brown leather knee high wedge Tabi boots...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld ivory silk embellished evening pant suit, ss 1996By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel ivory silk evening pantsuit ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Short sleeve jacket with front zip fastening ▪ Embellished trim with yellow and pink sequined florals ▪ Matching s...Category
1990s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Dior Vintage Jacket + Skirt SetBy Christian DiorLocated in Avon, CT- Guaranteed 100% Authentic. - Perfect preowned condition. - Size: 4P Skirt waist 12” Hips 14” Skirt length 19” - Material: 50% cotton 45% acetate 5% rayon. - Freshly dry cl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Skirt Suits
- Yves Saint Laurent Linen Pant SuitBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent Blush Starched Linen Pant Suit Jacket Shoulders 18 Bust 22 in Waist 40 in Hips 24 in Sleeves 23 in Length 29 in Marked Size FR ...Category
1990s Trouser Pant Suits
- Gianni Versace S/S 1991 Pop Art Baroque Print Swimsuit Bodysuit & Leggings SetBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Chicago, ILFrom Gianni Versace’s Spring/Summer 1991 “Pop Art” Collection, this rare set features the striking color palette and patterns the collection was famous for. This set features a combi...Category
1990s Jumpsuits
- Karl Lagerfeld Blush Skirt SuitBy Karl LagerfeldLocated in Los Angeles, CABlushy beige colored skirt suit. Front button closures. Shoulder pads. Collared. Fitted style. Rear zipper on skirt. Lined. Wool. Made in France. *Condition: Excellent vintage condition. No visible Flaws. Measurements Taken Laying Flat (inches)— Shoulder to Shoulder: 17 in. Sleeve Length: 21 in. Bust: 32 in. Blazer Waist: 28 in. Blazer length: 27 in Skirt waist: 25 in Skirt Skirt...Category
1980s Skirt Suits
- Byblos Mint Green Skirt SuitBy ByblosLocated in Los Angeles, CASweet yet powerful. This Byblos's Mint Green Skirt Suit exudes timeless elegance, with structured tailoring and feminine details. The two-piece suit featur...Category
1980s Skirt Suits
- North Beach Pink Leather Cross Back Dress & Jacket setBy North Beach LeatherLocated in Los Angeles, CADress Bust: 34" Waist: 27" Length: 26" Jacket Bust: 36" Waist 28"Category
1980s 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.