Dame Vivienne Westwood

Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI (born 8 April 1941) is a British fashion designer largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream. Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in the village of Tintwistle, Derbyshire on 8 April 1941.
Artistic collections. The first major retrospective of her work was shown in 2004–5 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition, created from approximately 145 complete outfits grouped into the themes from the early 1970s to the present day, was drawn from her own personal archive and the V&A's extensive collection. They range from early punk garments to glamorous "historical" evening gowns.
Her Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Propaganda Collection drew inspiration from her archive, reinterpreting designs using Wolford's exclusive knitting technology. Westwood has worked in close collaboration with Wolford since 2003. In 2006, she collaborated with Nine West, whose shoes are not designed directly by Westwood, however the Nine West brand name shares its label with Westwood. Westwood's Gold Label and MAN hats are created by Prudence Millinery. In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs.
Recognition. In 2007 Glossopdale Community College named one of its newly created houses, "Westwood", after the designer.[citation needed] Singer Gwen Stefani regularly mentions Westwood on her 2004 album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., in particular on the tracks "Rich Girl" and "Harajuku Girls". In a later interview Stefani told of how Westwood is her favourite designers, saying "Vivienne Westwood is one of my all-time favourites. I'd give all my money to her and buy all her clothes!"
In 1992 Westwood was awarded an OBE, which she collected from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. At the ceremony, Westwood was knicker-less, which was later captured by a photographer in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace. Westwood later said "I wished to show off my outfit by twirling the skirt. It did not occur to me that, as the photographers were practically on their knees, the result would be more glamorous than I expected", and added "I have heard that the picture amused the Queen". Westwood advanced from OBE to DBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List for services to fashion, and has thrice earned the award for British Designer of the Year. Westwood is the godmother of highfashion model and socialite lady Elissa Spencer-Wilhelmsen Ainsworth, and was the one who discovered designer Rosamund Lodge-Ainsworth who happens to be Lady Elissa's sister-in-law, after marrying lord Philip Spencer-Wilhelmsen Ainsworth. Westwood and the bride designed the wedding dress and she attended the wedding with her sons.

Powered by Wikipedia