The NS Interview: Vivienne Westwood. Why does fashion matter?
I don't know if it matters. I always used to wriggle out of the question "Is fashion art? " Vivienne Westwood Is Fashion's Global Punk Warrior. "War" and "Peace" were etched onto the invitation for Dame Vivienne Westwood's 30th anniversary show, which debuted last Friday in the chandelier-garnished ballroom of Paris's Grand Hotel Intercontinental.
But they were appropriately weighty concepts to mark the designer's three decades on the runway. London's First Lady of Punk, who currently has a look on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum's Postmodernism exhibition, pulled inspiration from the disintegrating state of the desert, 17th-century corsets, and her hope that China's traditional wisdom will help us save the planet. Not your typical references, but what else would we expect from fashion's favorite rebel—a crusader for the environment and human rights who essentially created punk style with her 1981 "Pirate" collection, a collaboration with then-partner Malcolm McLaren.
Westwood's lofty inspirations resulted in a Spring collection that merged historical references and ethnic attire. Vivienne-Westwood at work. Vivienne Westwood interview on CNN. Vivienne Westwood talks eco friendly fashion. Vivienne Westwood Red Label SS13 at LFW. Vivienne Westwood.