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.
- Vivienne Westwood beige tartan four piece ensemble, fw 1994By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood beige tartan wool four piece ensemble ▪ Beige, brown, yellow, white and blue tartan wool ▪ Waistcoat with orb engraved buttons and pin satin back panel ▪ Mid-l...Category
1990s British Skirt Suits
- Gianni Versace Snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt set, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace; cream snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt. Cropped biker jacket with silk Medusa lining and metal buckle and zip fastenings. High waisted A-Line mini skirt ...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Emilio Pucci nylon floral printed body stocking, Spring-Summer 1966By Emilio PucciLocated in London, GB- Orange, pink, green and white floral print - Deep v-neck Spring-Summer 1966Category
1960s Italian Jumpsuits
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld yellow tweed jacket and skirt suit, ss 1998By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel skirt suit ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Sorbet yellow tweed with white, orange and grey ▪ Single breasted jacket ▪ Knee-length pencil skirt ▪ Clear buttons with incase...Category
1990s French Jackets
- Dolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set, ss 1996By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set. Spring-Summer 1996Category
1990s Italian 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
- Margaretha Ley Escada Blue & Yellow Woven Silk & Wool Blend Skirt & Jacket SuitBy Escada Margaretha LeyLocated in Portland, ORThis is such a lovely vintage 2 piece woven silk and wool skirt suit with the Margaretha Ley Escada label. The fabric is so beautiful and makes a...Category
1990s German Skirt Suits
- Christian Dior By John Galliano S/S 2004 Monogram Logo Pants & Top 2 Piece SetBy John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in Naples, FLChristian Dior By John Galliano S/S 2004 Pink Diorissimo Monogram Logo Pants & Top 2 Piece Set FR38/FR42 Christian Dior by John Galliano 2 Piece Set featuring the iconic Diorissimo ...Category
Early 2000s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Off-white wool skirt-suit KniomyLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FROff-white wool skirt-suit . The jacket is mix wool and "bouclette" wool with "chauve-souris" sleeves . The bottom of the sleeves and the hips band are...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Pucci cotton print blouse & skirt set 1960sBy Emilio PucciLocated in West Palm Beach, FLPucci cotton print blouse & skirt set 1960st...Crisp white cotton with hot pink, yellow, purple and black print of ribbons, stars & wild looking birds...The long sleeve blouse button...Category
1960s Italian Skirt Suits
- Giorgio Armani Cream Floral Jacquard Tapered Vintage Trousers XSBy Giorgio ArmaniLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2These pretty trousers from Giorgio Armani will be a perfect addition to your collection. They come with tapered legs and a floral jacquard design all over. This cream-hued creation i...Category
2010s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana Pink Silk Floral & Cat Printed Pajama Pants MBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Feel supremely comfy dressed in these pajama pants from Dolce & Gabbana. The silk creation shows a pretty floral and cat print all over and comes with pockets. Pair the pink pants...Category
2010s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Lotus Between the Finger Ring set in 18k White GoldBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in Miami, FLRETAIL PRICE: $35,100.00 BRILLIANCE PRICE: $29,800.00 A symbol of beauty, purity and fulfillment, the lotus flower has inspired Van Cleef & Arpels to create dazzling and harmonious jewelry creations. Different types of diamond setting showcase the Maison's High Jewelry expertise. Designer: Van Cleef & Arpels Collection: Flora Style: Lotus Between The Finger Ring...Category
2010s French Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Scalloped Walnut Bar CartLocated in Los Angeles, CABeautiful walnut wood bar cart newly made in Los Angeles. Rectangular cart with two tiers and carved wavy scalloped detail on shelf edges. Curved wood handles and 3 bottle compartmen...Category
2010s American Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWalnut
- A large silk square/head scarf, 'The Swarm Of Cherubs', Vivienne Westwood, 1980sBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Greyabbey, County DownFor this scarf design, Vivienne Westwood borrowed a detail from J.H. Fragonard's painting a 'Swarm of Cherubs' to create an ornate and Baroque head scarf. Designed in 1991, it is mad...Category
1990s British Scarves
- Le Bambole Leather Sofa Design Mario Bellini 1978 for B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Offenburg, Baden Wurthembergcognac leather Le Bambole-seater Sofa designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in 1978. Price per sofa, second matching sofa available. The Bambole series today is a true icon amo...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Foam
- 18K Solid Gold Orchid Sculpture Artist Ring YBA Marc Quinn Artwork Wearable ArtBy Marc QuinnLocated in Surfside, FLMarc Quinn 18k Large Gold Orchid Ring Measurements: Ring size 7, ring top is 38mm x 37mm Hallmarked: MQ PE 750 Weight: 26 grams Quinn has used orchids repeatedly and thematically in his sculptures and these unique pieces are inspired by the artist's ongoing 'Flower sculptures' series. Like their inspiration, these works are described by Quinn as the most magical transformation of reality into art - rendered intimately for personal wear. Artist Marc Quinn known for his voluptuous hyper-real, super-bright flower and that famous golden statue of Kate Moss doing yoga has made a very limited edition of these yellow gold rings. He has made white bronze sculptures as well as white gold jewelry for Selfridges in London. Quinn has used orchids repeatedly as a motif in his work. Major artists such as Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dalí, Lucio Fontana and Roy Lichtenstein and Claude and Xavier Lalanne have sall made artists Art Jewelry. These unique pieces are inspired by the artist's ongoing 'Flower sculptures' series. These have been included in the Dine Venet collection as well as in the Louisa Guinness gallery collection. (She has commissioned works by Anish Kapoor, Claude Lalanne, Marc Quinn and Ron Arad). Quinn first came to public attention in the early 1990s through his affiliation with the Young British Artists (YBAs). Among his earliest and best-known works is Self (1991), a cast of his head made from ten pints of Quinn’s frozen blood, an amount equal to the volume in his body. In a 2013 interview, the artist said that the YBA movement had been about “bringing real life into art.” In both Self and Spiral of the Galaxy, Quinn’s urge is holistic and metaphysical, a desire to translate the substance of life into image. Young British Artists, or YBAs—also referred to as Brit artists and Britart—is a loose group of visual artists who first began to exhibit together in London in 1988. Many of the YBA artists graduated from the BA Fine Art course at Goldsmiths, in the late 1980s, whereas some from the group had trained at Royal College of Art. Leading artists of the group include Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. The core of the YBA group graduated from the Goldsmiths BA Fine Art degree course in the classes of 1987–90. Liam Gillick, Fiona Rae, Steve Park and Sarah Lucas, were graduates in the class of 1987. Ian Davenport, Michael Landy, Gary Hume, Anya Gallaccio, Lala Meredith-Vula, Henry Bond, Angela Bulloch, were graduates in the class of 1988; Damien Hirst, Angus Fairhurst, Mat Collishaw, Simon Patterson, and Abigail Lane, were graduates from the class of 1989; whilst Gillian Wearing, and Sam Taylor-Wood, were graduates from the class of 1990, and Jason Martin was graduated with the class of 1993. During the years 1987–1990, the teaching staff on the Goldsmiths BA Fine Art included Jon Thompson, Richard Wentworth, Michael Craig-Martin, Ian Jeffrey, Helen Chadwick, Mark Wallinger, Judith Cowan and Glen Baxter...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsGold
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.