Who?

Irreverent, unconventional, and fearlessly provocative, Vivienne Westwood remained a cutting-edge figure in the world of style and culture until her death at the age of 81 in 2022. In the 70s, her Chelsea fashion boutique, SEX, dressed punk bands with her leather fetish and BDSM-inspired designs; Vivienne Westwood saw Punk music as "seeing if one could put a spoke in the system"- a disruptive, anti-establishment ideology consistent with Westwood's on fashion. Perhaps inspired by the name of her boutique, her then-boyfriend, Malcolm McLaren coined the Sex Pistols band name and subsequently managed them. Politically conscious, Westwood often made political statements through designs such as her 2005 "I AM NOT A TERRORIST" t-shirt sold to raise funds for the civil liberties organisation Liberty to raise awareness of the growing incidence of arbitrary arrests made in the name of fighting terror, and remained a friend and supporter of Julian Assange until her passing.

Why?

On TikTok you’re sure to see thousands of girls sporting the infamous orb pearl necklace. Vivienne Westwood is one of those people that continue to influence through the years. Her iconic orb logo is a combination of royal British iconography and the rings of Saturn to represent the importance of the past, but also a nod to the future. With ripped jeans, slashed and hand written shirts and outward-facing seams, she showed it was okay to bear the scars of ‘working it out’ in life as it was in her fashion- and brought Punk to the mainstream, putting a halt to the demonisation of the young DIY enthusiasts.

Why we love them...

We can only hope that in our older ages we can sport bright orange hair and fishnet stockings like Vivienne did. The DIY spirit of Westwood’s clothing is something we should start adapting into our lives. At BRIX, we know that to make real change you have to show your process. The progress of Westwood’s designs over the decades have shown that she is a true guru when it comes to both staying relevant and shocking the system. Vivienne will never go out of style.