Vivienne Westwood – Fashion, Legacy, And A Relaxing Tale

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast,

Where I bore you to sleep with my soothing voice.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Boster.

Today we have a sponsored episode from Julie Gibson about Vivienne Westwood.

Thanks,

Julie,

For sponsoring today's episode.

Dame Vivienne Isabel Westwood,

April 8th,

1941 to December 29th,

2022,

Was an English fashion designer and businesswoman,

Largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.

In 2022,

Sky Arts ranked her the fourth most influential artist in Britain of the last 50 years.

Westwood came to public notice when she made clothes for the boutique that she and Malcolm McLaren ran on King's Road.

Their ability to synchronize clothing and music shaped the 1970s UK punk scene.

She viewed punk as a way of seeing if one could put a spoke in the system.

Westwood opened four shops in London and eventually expanded throughout Britain and the world,

Selling a varied range of merchandise,

Some of which promoted her political causes.

Westwood was born in Hollingworth,

Cheshire,

On April 8th,

1941.

She grew up a nearby Tentwhistle and was the daughter of Gordon Swire and Dora Swire,

Who had married two years previously,

Two weeks after the outbreak of the Second World War.

At the time of Vivienne's birth,

Her father was employed as a storekeeper in an aircraft factory.

He had previously worked as a greengrocer.

In 1958,

Her family moved to Harrow,

Greater London.

Westwood took a jewellery and silversmith course at the University of Westminster,

Then known as the Harrow Art School,

But left after one term saying,

I didn't know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the and studying at a teacher training college,

She became a primary school teacher.

During this period,

She created her own jewellery,

Which she sold at a stall on Portabella Road.

In 1962,

She met Derek Westwood,

An apprentice at the Hoover factory in Harrow.

They married on the 21st of July,

1962.

Westwood made her own wedding dress.

In 1963,

She gave birth to a son,

Benjamin.

Westwood's marriage to Derek ended after she met Malcolm McLaren.

Westwood and McLaren moved to Thurley Court in Ballam,

Where their son Joseph Coray was born in 1967.

Westwood continued to teach until 1971,

And also created clothes which McLaren designed.

Westwood was one of the architects of the punk fashion phenomenon of the 1970s,

Saying,

I was messianic about punk,

Seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way.

Westwood's emergence as a designer who made garments that reflected the economic,

Social,

And political context of 1970s Britain coincided with a disillusioned youth,

Who developed a unique style of dress and musical expression,

Which was instantly identifiable through its aesthetic and sound.

Westwood's boutique,

Originally managed with McLaren,

Was a meeting place for early members of the London punk scene.

The boutique regularly changed names and interior design through the 1970s to fit with collections and design inspirations.

It remains in its original location at 430 Kings Road,

Chelsea,

London,

Under the name World's End since 1980,

Following a short period of closure in the 1980s to this day.

McLaren and Westwood were keen entrepreneurs and their designs sold in their boutique helped to define and market the punk look at the exact moment that it exploded in popularity on the streets of London.

Westwood's designs during the punk era and thereafter were informed by historicism,

The V&A describing Westwood as a meticulous researcher.

Westwood began challenging gender norms and promoting experimentation in her designs,

Which at the outset were created in collaboration with McLaren.

Initially,

Westwood created garments referencing the dress of the 1950s teddy boys,

Which were worn by McLaren.

Upon opening Let It Rock in 1971,

The first incarnation of Westwood and McLaren's boutique,

Early creations for the shop incorporated such influences reminiscent of the youth subculture fashions of the 1950s.

Inspired by the rebellious nature of the 1950s youth,

Let It Rock referenced the clothing,

Music,

And decor of the immediate post-war era.

In 1972,

Let It Rock was refashioned into Too Fast to Live,

Too Young to Die,

An homage to the death of James Dean.

Though design references for garments retailed under Too Fast to Live,

Too Young to Die focused on the rocker aesthetic of the 1960s,

The boutique still sold teddy boy-inspired garments under the Let It Rock label.

The new politically-leaning design inspirations for Too Fast to Live,

Too Young to Die were conveyed through Westwood's sleeveless t-shirts,

Bearing various statements,

Creating such a combination of safety pins,

Chicken bones,

And glitter glue.

Westwood also inspired the style of punk icons,

Such as Viv Albertine,

Who wrote in her memoir,

Vivian and Malcolm use clothes to shock,

Irritate,

And provoke a reaction,

But also to inspire change.

Mohair jumpers knitted on big needles so loosely that you can see all the way through them,

T-shirts slashed and written on by hand,

Seams and labels on the outside showing the construction of the piece.

These attitudes are reflected in the music we make.

It's okay to not be perfect,

To show the workings of your life in your mind and your songs and your clothes.

Westwood was disenchanted with the direction that adoptees had taken punk in,

Many of them uninterested in punk's political values,

Viewing the style of the movement as a marketing opportunity instead of a medium for radical change.

Westwood's designs were independent and represented a statement of her own values.

She collaborated on occasion with Gary Ness,

Who associated Westwood with inspirations and titles for her collections.

McLaren and Westwood's first fashion collection to be shown to the media and potential international buyers was Pirate,

Combining 18th and 19th century dress,

British history,

And textiles with African prints.

This was the first time in which Westwood explored her inspiration of historic sources in current-day couture.

The Pirate runway had featured both rap and an array of ethnic music.

Subsequently,

Their partnership,

Which was underlined by the fact that both their names appeared on all labeling,

Produced collections in Paris and London with the somatic titles Savages,

Shown late 1981,

Buffalo Nostalgia of Mud,

Shown spring 1982,

Punkador,

Shown late 1982,

Witches,

Shown early 1983,

And World's End,

1984,

Later renamed Hypnos,

Shown late 1983.

After the partnership with McLaren was dissolved,

Westwood showed one more collection under the World's End label,

Clint Eastwood,

Late 1984,

Early 1985.

She dubbed the period 1981-85 New Romantic,

During which time she created the famous look of the band Adam and the Ants,

And 1988-91 as The Pagan Years,

During which Vivienne's heroes changed from punks and ragamuffins to tattler girls wearing clothes that parodied the upper class.

From 1985 to 1987,

Westwood took inspiration from the ballet Petrushka to design the mini crinny,

An abbreviated version of the Victorian crinoline.

Its many lengths,

Bouffant silhouette,

Inspired the puffball skirts widely presented by more established designers such as Christian Lacroix.

The mini crinny was described in 1989 as a combination of two conflicting ideals,

The crinoline representing the mythology of restriction and encumbrance in women's dress,

And the mini skirt representing an equally dubious mythology of liberation.

Westwood continued her research in fashion history by studying garments found in museum collections,

Which are evident through her incorporations of neck ruffs,

Corsets,

Bustles,

Breeches,

And panniers in her various collections.

Works from artists Jean-Antoine Watteau,

Anthony van Dyck,

And François Boucher have been used as inspiration for several pieces of Westwood's garments,

Including scarves,

Corsets,

And leggings.

For autumn-winter 1987 to 88,

Westwood showcased the Harris Tweed collection,

Which launched her long-standing relationship with the Scottish cloth,

Harris Tweed,

And the Tweed Authority.

The collection is often credited as being instrumental in reviving its use as a fashion fabric,

Thereby boosting the local industry.

In the collection,

She had also adopted the use of the orb logo,

An orb resembling the Sovereign's orb,

With a satellite ring around it like the one around Saturn.

This sparked heavy controversy as it was very similar to orb mark of the Harris Tweed Authority,

At the time named the Harris Tweed Association.

Following her death,

The Harris Tweed Authority released the following statement.

In the late 1980s,

Vivian Westwood commenced use of a logo which we consider acknowledged her connections with an affection for our cherished cloth.

Whilst that may not have been well received by everyone in the Harris Tweed industry,

Subsequently both brands have very successfully collaborated to their mutual benefit.

We hope and expect that collaboration will continue for many years to come.

In 2007,

Westwood was approached by the chair of King's College London,

Patricia Rawlings,

To design an academic gown for the college after it had successfully petitioned the Privy Council for the right to award degrees.

In 2008,

The Westwood design academic dresses for King's College were unveiled.

On the gowns,

Westwood commented,

Through my reworking of the traditional robe,

I tried to link the past,

The present,

And the future.

We are what we know.

In July 2011,

Westwood's collections were presented at the Brandery fashion show in Barcelona.

Westwood worked closely with Richard Branson to design uniforms for the Virgin Atlantic crew.

The uniform for the female crew considered a red suit,

Which accentuated the women's curves and and had strategically placed darts around the bust area.

The men's uniform consisted of a grey and burgundy three-piece suit with details on the lapels and pockets.

Westwood and Branson were both passionate about using sustainable materials throughout their designs to reduce the impact on the environment and so used recycled polyester.

In March 2012,

Vivienne Westwood Group reached agreement to end a long-standing UK franchise relationship with Manchester-based Hervia,

Which operated seven stores for the fashion chain.

The deal brought to a conclusion a legal dispute,

Which included Hervia issuing high court proceedings for alleged breach of contract after Westwood sought to end the franchise deal before the agreed term.

The subsequent transition of some of the Hervia stores to Westwood,

Along with cost savings,

Was credited for a jump in Vivienne Westwood Limited's pre-tax profits by nearly a factor of 10 to 5 million pounds from 527,

683 pounds the previous year.

The next year,

The company announced,

Over the last year,

Margins have been under pressure due to the nature of wider retail conditions.

Shortly after,

Westwood announced she would cease further expansion of her business as a way of tackling environmental and sustainability issues.

In March 2015,

The company announced that it would open a three-story outpost in midtown Manhattan in New York City.

This was followed by a new 3,

200 square foot shop and a building also housing the company's offices and showrooms in Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris,

Opening in early 2016.

As of December 2015,

Vivienne Westwood Limited operated 12 retail stores in the UK,

Including an outlet store in Bicester Village.

There were 63 Westwood shops worldwide,

Including 9 in China,

9 in Hong Kong,

18 in South Korea,

6 in Taiwan,

2 in Thailand,

And 2 in the United States.

In August 2011,

Westwood's company,

Vivienne Westwood Limited,

Agreed to pay £350,

000 in tax,

Plus interest,

Of £144,

112,

Due in 2009,

To HM Revenue and Customs,

HMRC,

For underestimating the value of her brand.

Her UK business had sold the rights to her trademarks to Luxembourg-based Latimo,

Which she controlled,

For £840,

000 in 2002.

After examining the deal,

HMRC argued that the brand had been undervalued.

The £2 million valuation triggered additional taxes.

Accounts for Vivienne Westwood Limited showed that,

Since 2011,

The company had continued to pay £2 million a year to offshore company Latimo for the right to use Westwood's name on her own fashion label.

Latimo,

Which Westwood controlled as the majority shareholder in her companies,

Was set up in 2002.

Such arrangements,

While legal,

Were against the Green Party policy to eliminate use of tax havens such as Luxembourg.

In March 2015,

Westwood said,

It is important to me that my business affairs are in line with my personal values.

I am subject to UK tax on all my income.

Later in 2015,

She said that she had restructured her company tax arrangements to try to align them with the Green Party's policy.

Westwood was also a noted author or co-author of books,

Such as Fashion and Art,

The Second Empire,

And Impressionism,

In which she explored the worlds of fashion and the arts and the links between them.

Vivienne Westwood Opus 2008 Limited Edition was published for London Fashion Week 2008,

Documents Westwood's work and is also a unique work of art.

The book measures 35.

4 by 25.

2 inches,

Weighs 44 pounds,

Was a total limited edition of 900.

The opus contains 97 large format Polaroid photographs,

Each measuring 19.

7 by 23.

6 inches.

The subjects include Westwood and her friends and models.

In the 1992 Birthday Honours,

Westwood was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire,

OBE,

For services to fashion design.

She received her medal from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

Westwood advanced from OBE to Dame Commander of the Same Order,

DBE,

In the 2006 New Year Honours,

For services to British fashion,

And earned the award for British Designer of the Year on three occasions.

She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts,

FRSA.

Westwood was awarded a fellowship at King's College London in 2007,

And in 2008 she designed 20 new academic gowns and hoods for King's students to wear at their graduation ceremonies.

In 2008,

Heriot-Watt University awarded Westwood an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters for her contribution to the industry and use of Scottish textiles.

In January 2011,

Westwood was featured in a Canadian-made television documentary called Vivienne Westwood's London,

In which she takes the viewer through her favourite parts of London.

In 2012,

Westwood was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork,

The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover,

To celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires.

Also in 2012,

Westwood was chosen as one of the new Elizabethans to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

A panel of seven academics,

Journalists,

And historians named Westwood among a group of 60 people in the UK,

Whose actions during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact on lives in these islands,

And given the age,

Its character,

And the history of the island.

A tartan outfit designed by Westwood featured on a commemorative UK postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail in 2012,

Celebrating Great British Fashion.

In October 2014,

The authorised biography Vivienne Westwood by Ian Kelly was published by Picador.

Paul Gorman described it as sloppy and riddled with inaccuracies on the basis of multiple errors in the book,

Including misspelling the names of popular rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townsend.

Regarding Gorman's claims,

Picador publisher Paul Bagley told the bookseller,

We always take very seriously any errors that are brought to our attention,

And where appropriate,

Correct them.

A spokesman for Macmillan Publishers,

Which published an Australian edition of the biography,

Confirmed that the matter was being handled by the publisher's lawyers.

In 2018,

A documentary film about Westwood called Westwood Punk Icon Activist premiered.

The next year,

Isabel Sanchez-Vegara wrote,

And Laura Callaghan illustrated Vivienne Westwood,

One of the series,

Little People,

Big Dreams,

Published by Francis Lincoln Publishing.

In 2022,

The documentary Art Lovers Unite,

Starring Vivienne Westwood,

Directed by Patrick J.

Thomas and Dakob,

Had its world premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in Australia.

To celebrate her 80th birthday,

Westwood was commissioned by Circa,

An art platform founded in 2020 by British-Irish artist Joseph O'Connor,

To present a new video work on the Piccadilly Lights screen in Piccadilly Circus,

London.

In the 10-minute film created with her brother,

The punk icon performed a rewritten rendition of Without You from My Fair Lady.

In an interview with The Guardian,

Her husband was quoted as saying,

It was a beautiful day because,

For once,

She let herself enjoy it.

Westwood died in Clapham,

London,

On the 29th of December 2022,

Aged 81.

Now let's pivot just a little bit from Vivienne to talk about Harris Tweed.

Harris Tweed is a tweed cloth that is hand-woven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland,

Finished in the Outer Hebrides,

And made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.

This definition,

Quality standards,

And protection of the Harris Tweed name are enshrined in the Harris Tweed Act,

1993.

The original name of tweed fabric was tweel,

The Scots word for twill,

As the fabric was woven in a twill weave rather than a plain or tabby weave.

A number of theories exist as to how and why tweel became corrupted into tweed.

In one,

A London merchant in the 1830s,

Upon receiving a letter from the Howick firm inquiring after tweels,

Misinterpreted the spelling as a trade name taken from the River Tweed,

Which flows through the Scottish borders.

Subsequently,

The goods were advertised as tweed,

The name used ever since.

For centuries,

The islanders of Lewes and Harris,

The Ewes,

Bembecula,

And Barra,

Wove cloth known as clawmore,

Big cloth in Scottish Gaelic,

By hand.

Originally woven by crafters,

This cloth was woven for personal and practical uses and was ideal protection against the often cold climate of northern Scotland.

The cloth was also used for trade or barter,

Eventually becoming a form of currency amongst islanders.

It was not usually for rents to be paid in blankets or lengths of clawmore.

By the end of the 18th century,

The spinning of wool yarn from local raw materials had become a staple industry for crafters.

Finished handmade cloth was exported to the Scottish mainland and traded,

Along with other commodities produced by the islanders,

Such as goat and deer skins.

As the Industrial Revolution reached Scotland,

Mainland manufacturers developed mechanized weaving methods,

With weavers in the Outer Hebrides retaining their traditional processes.

The islanders of Lewes and Harris had long been known for the quality of their hand-woven fabrics,

But up to the middle of the 19th century this fabric was produced mainly for either home use or for trade and barter at a local market.

When Alexander Murray,

6th Earl of Dunmore,

Inherited the North Harris estate from his father in 1836,

Production of tweed in the Outer Hebrides was still entirely manual.

Wool was washed in soft,

Peaty water before being dyed using dyestuffs derived from local plants and lichens.

It was then processed and spun before being hand-woven by the crafters in their cottages.

Traditional island tweed was characterized by the flux of color achieved through the use of natural dyes,

Including a lichen known as crottle,

Which gave the fabric deep red or purple-brown and rusty-orange colors respectively.

The use of lichens also resulted in a distinctive scent that made older Harris tweed fabrics easily identifiable.

Upon the death of Murray in 1843,

Responsibility for his estate on the Isle of Harris passed to his wife,

Lady Catherine Herbert.

Herbert noticed the marketing potential and high quality of the tweed cloth produced locally by two sisters from the village of Straund.

Known as the Paisley Sisters after the town where they had trained,

The fabric woven by them was a remarkably higher quality than that produced by untrained crafters.

In 1846,

The Countess commissioned the sisters to weave lengths of tweed with the Murray family tartan.

She sent the finished fabric to be made up into jackets for the gamekeepers and ghillies on her estate.

Being hard-wearing and water-resistant,

The new clothing was highly suited to life on Dunmore's estate.

Her ideas were complemented by the work of Fanny Beckett.

She organized the weavers,

Created training and quality control procedures,

And promoted Harris tweed as a sustainable and local industry.

The Countess began to promote the local textile as a fashionable cloth for hunting and sporting wear.

It soon became the fabric of choice for the landed gentry and aristocracy of the time,

Including members of Queen Victoria's inner circle.

With demand established for this high quality Harris tweed,

Lady Catherine sent more girls to the Scottish mainland for training.

She improved the yarn production process to create a more consistent workable cloth,

And by the late 1840s,

Merchants from Edinburgh to London were supplying the privileged classes with hand-woven tweed.

Fanny Beckett moved to London in 1888,

And the Scottish Home Industries,

Which managed the new production,

Became a limited company in 1896.

From this point on,

The Harris tweed industry grew,

Reaching a peak production figure of 7.

6 million yards in 1966.