World's End by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren 'Savages' Ensemble, c. 1982
View Similar Items
World's End by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Mclaren 'Savages' Ensemble, c. 1982
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:World's End
- Dimensions:Marked Size: M (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor signs of wear throughout, nothing serious.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14021182712
Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren
Dame Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren (1941–2022; 1946–2010) met in London during the early 1960s — Westwood, who was born in a village in Derbyshire, in central England, initially began her career by making necklaces and other jewelry, while McLaren was an artist, activist and entrepreneur. 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.
For someone who regularly swatted away the industry that made her, Westwood certainly knew her way around a garment. And the audacious British fashion designer knew how to provoke. “I don’t follow fashion,” Westwood once told the New York Times. “I’ve never been interested in it.” She was instead moved by parallel passions: a love of British design history and an unflinching urge to put a stick in the eye of authority. Today, collectors are deeply interested in vintage Vivienne Westwood dresses, handbags, lingerie and jackets.
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 line’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. McLaren and Westwood separated soon afterward, during the early 1980s.
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.
Find vintage Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren day dresses and other clothing on 1stDibs.
- John Galliano purple and black herringbone mohair sweater and skirt set, fw 1999By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano purple mohair sweater and skirt set ▪ Black herringbone design with purple base ▪ Turn-over cuffs ▪ Large high-neck fold-over c...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Gucci by Tom Ford black knitted wool and fur sweater and skirt set, fw 2002By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GB▪ Gucci black knitted wool sweater and skirt set ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Heavyweight oversized chunky-knit sweater ▪ Matching pencil skirt with ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Azzedine Alaia cream rayon knit 5 piece pant suit set, ss 1992By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB▪ Azzedine Alaia cream rayon knit 5 piece pant suit set ▪ Cropped vest top ▪ Cropped long sleeve button-up cardigan ▪ Maxi long sleeve button-up cardigan ▪ High waisted wide-leg pan...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Jean Paul Gaultier black knitted chenille aran conical breast sweater, fw 1985By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GBJean Paul Gaultier black chenille aran pullover sweater with wide standing collar, zip fastening at centre-back and signature Gaultier conical breast panels with nipples. Fall-Wint...Category
1980s Italian Sweaters
- Men's Jean Paul Gaultier gold lurex zip-up vest, fw 1985By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Jean Paul Gaultier zip-up vest ▪ Metallic gold and black Lurex knit ▪ 55% Cotton, 21% Polyester, 19% Nylon, 5% Elastane ▪ Fringed hem ▪ Size 48 ▪ Fall-Winter 1985Category
1980s Italian Sweaters
- Men's Chanel multicoloured mohair and silk knitted turtle neck sweater, pf 2016By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Chanel knitted turtle neck sweater ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ 70% Mohair, 30% Silk ▪ Diamond quilt pattern ▪ Size 50 ▪ Pre-Fall 2016Category
2010s French Sweaters
- 1980s Chanel Knit Navy Short Sleeve EnsembleBy ChanelLocated in Toronto, OntarioPerfect for the summer, this 1980s Chanel navy knit ensemble is amazing when worn together or 3 great pieces to add to any wardrobe. The short sleeve sweater jacket buttons up the fr...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- GIVENCHY Couture A/W 1998 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Embellished Knit Top Cardigan SetBy Givenchy, Alexander McQueenLocated in Thiensville, WIGIVENCHY Couture A/W 1998 ALEXANDER McQUEEN Embellished Knit Top Cardigan Set Brand / Manufacturer: Givenchy Couture Collection: A/W 1998 Designer: Alexander McQueen Style: Knit shor...Category
1990s French Twin Sets
- 1970s Diane Von Furstenberg Black and Silver Crochet Cardigan and Cami 70s SetBy Diane von FurstenbergLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful vintage DIANE VON FURSTENBERG black and silver metallic wrap cardigan AND camisole set! Amazing black and silver metallic crochet throughout both pieces. Cardigan is wrap s...Category
1970s Italian Twin Sets
- Missoni Off White Decorative Knit Sweater and Tank Twin SetBy M Missoni, MissoniLocated in West Palm Beach, FLMissoni off white decorative knit long sleeve open front hip length sweater and matching scoop neck tank top. Each unlined. Tank marked size 2 sweater marked size 6. M Missoni. In ex...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Twin Sets
- GIVENCHY Couture S/S 1998 ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Pale Yellow Floral Cardigan Top SetBy Givenchy, Alexander McQueenLocated in Thiensville, WIGivenchy Couture S/S 1998 designed by Alexander McQueen pale yellow cardigan tank top set. Pale yellow and metallic floral embroidered knit. Eight center front button closures. Round...Category
1990s Italian Twin Sets
- Unworn 1960s Deadstock Wool Knit Mod Color Block Sweater + Skirt Suit EnsembleLocated in Sparks, NVUnwworn with the original tags still attached! Vintage brown and off white color block turtleneck sweater top and matching skirt with a striped mod design. By Imperial Imports. This ...Category
1960s Hong Kong Skirt Suits
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.
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.