Vivienne Westwood: her life and career – in pictures

Greg Whitmore

Thursday, 29 Dec 2022

# Adam Ant

A look at the famous fashion designer’s greatest moments, after her death at the age of 81

Remembering Vivienne Westwood: ‘The rebel who was never without a cause’

Gallery

Dame Vivienne Westwood, photographed here in her studio in London in 2007, was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in the village of Tintwistle, Derbyshire, on 8 April 1941. Photograph: Philip Hollis/REX

Vivienne Westwood: Various — Having been a primary school teacher, jewellery and clothes designer, and mother, Westwood’s raison d’être arrived with the punk movement, of which she was an instrumental element. Here she is on stage with the Sex Pistols at Notre Dame Hall in Leicester Square, London, on 15 November 1976. Photograph: Ray Stevenson

Vivienne Westwood: With Sid Vicious — Sid Vicious was not yet in the Sex Pistols, but he was in the audience. Here he is chatting with Vivienne Westwood. Photograph: Ian Dickson/Redferns

Vivienne Westwood: Steve Jones, Alan Jones, Chrissie Hynde, Jordan and Vivienne Westwood — Vivienne Westwood met Malcolm McLaren in the early 70s. He had a shop on Kings Road in London that became the seminal boutique SEX, a hangout for the fledgling punk movement. Here is a shot from 1976 in the shop showing Sex Pistol Steve Jones, an unknown model, future journalist/broadcaster Alan Jones, future Pretenders bandleader Chrissie Hynde, punk scenester and icon Jordan, and Westwood. Photograph: David Dagley/REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren — At the end of 1976, SEX became Seditionaries, another influential store that produced some amazing T-shirts worn by Siouxsie (later brought back into fashion by Cara Delevingne). This picture shows Vivienne with her then partner in business and life, Malcolm McLaren, in 1977. Photograph: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy

Vivienne Westwood: Pirate Collection — In 1980, Malcolm McLaren persuaded the two guitarists and drummer of Adam and the Ants to leave the band and form Bow Wow Wow. Lead singer Annabella Lwin, 14, was added, and Westwood set to work styling the band with a pirate-meets-apache look. Here, Westwood works with Annabella in a studio in Old Street, London. The following year, 1981, she had her first catwalk show, which was titled Pirate. Photograph: Denis O’Regan/Getty Images

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood at her shop, Worlds End — Vivienne Westwood at her shop on Kings Road, which, by 1985, was called Worlds End. Photograph: Martyn Goddard/Corbis

Vivienne Westwood: Sarah Stockbridge and Vivienne Westwood at the British Fashion Awards — Westwood was first awarded the prestigious title of British designer of the year in 1990, and here she is receiving the award at the Royal Albert Hall accompanied by her then muse, Sarah Stockbridge. She won the award again the following year. Photograph: Richard Young/REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood dresses a model backstage — March 1991. Westwood dresses a model backstage prior to her Pret a Porter autumn/winter 1991/92 collection. Photograph: John Van Hasselt/Sygma/Corbis

Vivienne Westwood: Princess Di and Vivienne Westwood at a RSPB Charity — As time passed, Westwood began to be recognised by the establishment. Here she is being greeted by Princess Diana in November 1991 at the Carnival of the Birds, a charity event for the RSPB held at the Royal Opera House, London. Photograph: REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood OBE 1992 — In 1992 Westwood received her OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. She caused a furore by going commando to Buckingham Palace. ‘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,’ she later explained. Photograph: Martin Keene/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Vivienne Westwood: Naomi Campbell falls over on the catwalk — Naomi Campbell falls over while wearing mock crocodile shoes with 5in platform soles and 12in heels at the Vivienne Westwood show during Paris fashion week, June 1993. Photograph: News (UK) Ltd/Rex Features

Vivienne Westwood: Designer Vivienne Westwood is applauded by her models — February 1997: Vivienne Westwood made a triumphant return to Britain at the end of the catwalk show for her autumn/winter 1997/8 collection. It was the first time she had displayed a collection at London Fashion Week since 1990. Photograph: Neil Munns/PA Archive/PA Images

Vivienne Westwood: Chris Eubank Modelling A Creation By Vivienne Westwood — Eccentric former boxer Chris Eubank modelled a Westwood creation at her show in Glasgow in January 1999. She has always had a penchant for the unusual. Photograph: Bruce Adams/Rex Features

Vivienne Westwood: Portrait by Jane Bown — Westwood, photographed by the Observer’s Jane Bown in June 1999. Photograph: Jane Bown/The Observer

Vivienne Westwood: Westwood at the V&A — March 2004 saw the V&A host a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her 34 years in fashion – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer. The exhibition toured the world for over four years.
Photograph: Sarah Lee Photograph: Sarah Lee

Vivienne Westwood: Dame Vivienne Westwood pictured With Her Family — Westwood with her family in 2004: Joseph Corre (her son with Malcolm McLaren), Core Corre, Serena Rees, Dora Swire (Vivienne’s mother) and Ben Westwood (her son from her first marriage with Derek Westwood). Photograph: Nigel Howard/Evening Standar/REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood with Pamela Anderson — Pamela Anderson was another example of Westwood’s penchant for unusual or unexpected models. Here, she is having a moment in March 2009 at the Gold Label fashion show Ready to Wear, autumn/winter 2009, during Paris Fashion Week. Photograph: Nicolas Khayat/Enigma/REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood and Stuart Goddard aka Adam Ant — Old punks came together to celebrate the life of Malcolm McLaren, following his death in 2010. Here Westwood stands alongside Adam Ant. Photograph: REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood with Andreas Kronthaler — Westwood with her husband, Andreas Kronthaler, at Paris Fashion week in September 2013. Photograph: REX

Vivienne Westwood: Vivienne Westwood at a Greenpeace protest — In October 2013, Westwood attended a protest outside the Russian Embassy in London in support of the 30 Greenpeace activists charged with piracy at a Russian oil platform in the Arctic. Westwood had always been a protester, standing against fracking and atomic weapons and championing the causes of bees and human rights. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Vivienne Westwood: Lily Cole — September 2013. Model Lily Cole dances on stage prior to the Vivienne Westwood Red Label show during London Fashion Week SS14 at the German Gymnasium in London. Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images

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Greg Whitmore

Greg Whitmore is the Observer's former picture editor and deputy head of photography

Greg Whitmore

Thursday, 29 Dec 2022

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