Recently, the fashion community lost one of the most influential modern designers: Vivienne Westwood. She was the queen and mother of punk fashion styles in London, and her influence in fashion, starting in the 1960s, was undeniable.Â
Westwoodâs most common themes were considered scandalous for her time. They were based around sex, political statements, and pushing the envelope. Her designs enthralled a new, young audience into the beginnings of the punk movement. As stated by Westwood, ââWe wanted to undermine the establishment, we hate it. We want to destroy it. We donât want it. We were youth against age, thatâs what it was.ââ
By the mid 70s, Westwoodâs designs featuring bondage themes, nudity, and other symbols of rebellion were produced. These raunchy designs were available in the Kingâs Road shop called âSexâ opened by Malcolm McLaren in 1974.Â
As the years went on, the shop took on different names, and the designs inside reflected each change. Popular rock band of the time, The Sex Pistols, inspired t-shirt slogans and collaborated with Westwood and McLaren on one of the store redesigns. The store âfeatured an interior inspired by the bombing of Dresden in the Second World War and a shelving display that housed a caged live ratâ. These details are notable and helped to build the brandâs image. Westwoodâs fashion shows had equally edgy and fascinating names, for example, âSavage, Buffalo Girls, New Romantics and The Pagan Yearsâ. Teenagers at the time were given a fashion icon telling them that it was okay to let their anger at the world or their mess of emotions out, in their style. Before the punk movementâs emergence, the âmodernistâ outfits were clean and tailored. To me, this is the best part of Westwoodâs legacy: giving young people fashion freedom. Westwood and McLarenâs deviance from the norm and determination to their craft and message gave inspiration to generations.