“GOD SAVE THE QUEEN OF FASHION VIVIENNE WESTWOOD”

Steven’s Viewz. “GOD SAVE THE QUEEN OF FASHION VIVIENNE WESTWOOD” Back in London from several years in Los Angles, my dear friend, the late journalist Lester Middlehurst, could not wait to take me out on to the London party scene. It was all a little overwhelming on our first outing for the launch of Naomi Campbell’s first album. Particularly as, while we pushed through the excitable crowd onto the red-carpet, Lester whispered, “You’re not actually invited. I only have one invite so we will just blag you in!” In true Lester style, blag me in he did, leaving my face as red as the carpet and shaking (blagging is not my forte) and feeling less than confident as I clasped my glass of champagne. It really was a case of me being the only person amongst the assembled celebrity guests I had never heard of! My nerves were soon eased when a lovely woman with a soft accent asked, “How are you tonight? You look great!” It was none other than the wonderful and grounded Vivienne Westwood. Unlike many of what I politely refer to as Meerkats I was to meet on the show-biz scene over the years (They are looking over your shoulder to see if there anyone more important to chat to), Vivienne was genuinely interested, particularly when I told her that I had a pair of her bondage trousers when I was just 17. Several people came up to her during our chat to interrupt and she politely pointed out she was talking to me. My first London social event I will never forget thanks to Vivienne Westwood, who made me feel special. Vivienne with her down to earth, no nonsense charms changed not just the face of fashion, but how we all saw fashion designers. She was outrageously camp fun and, arguably, the woman we all wanted to be our friend. In my teens I took my mum for a treat day out to the trendy Kings Road when I was 16. We sat down to have a coffee opposite Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop Sex. I do not think she was ready for the vibe. She let out a little scream as she saw that the window dressing for Sex was a super-sized tampon. Needless to say, it was the end of our trip to the Kings Road. Whether it was telling Kate Moss if she was gay she would fancy her, challenging the older generation with, “We don’t accept your values or your taboos, and you’re all fascists!”, promoting the green party, stripping off for PETA, mocking then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by impersonating her on the cover of Tatler, fighting terrorism, or bringing ethical fashion to the forefront; Vivienne was never afraid to step out onto the front line. In fact, Vivienne’s origins began with slogan T-shirts: Vivienne and Malcolm began to design their own t-shirts with provocative printed slogans, which led to their prosecution under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act; they responded by re-branding the shop once again two years later. Popular punk band the Sex Pistols’ (managed by Malcolm) song ‘God Save the Queen’ went to number one in the charts but was refused airtime by the BBC. The shop reopened as Seditionaries, transforming the straps and zips of obscure sexual fetishism and bondage into fashion, and inspiring a D.I.Y. aesthetic. The mass media labelled this as ‘Punk Rock’. Vivienne was leading the way for the likes of Madonna to gives us Erotica, and the taboo fetish to become spoken about and fashionable long before 50 shades. Vivienne allowed you to express your fantasies through clothes. Despite her anti-establishment views, she went on to be listed as one the world’s top six designers along with the likes of Armani and Lagerfeld. Vivienne received an award for Fashion Designer of the Year for two years in a row in 1990 and 1991 by the British Fashion Council. Vivienne received an O.B.E at Buckingham Palace from her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll in 1992. She was made a Dame in 2006. Vivienne introduced wedding gowns into her collections in 1992; her design takes pride of place in the “Sex in the City” film when she gifts Carrie one of her dresses. It was a shock for many not only when her death was announced, but that the ageless designer was 81 years of age. She passed on surrounded by her family in Clapham, South London on December 29th 2022. Many people come into this world wanting to leave their mark. This soft-spoken lady left her mark on everyone she met and a huge stamp on the world of fashion. https://www.viviennewestwood.com/en/ END