Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood (born 8 April, 1941), born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire, is an English fashion designer largely responsible for modern punk and new wave fashions. Linked with the Sex Pistols via Malcolm McLaren & their "Sex" boutique on King's Road, Chelsea in London during the 1970s. In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs.

When she was seventeen, her parents bought a post office and moved to the south of England, down to Harrow in Middlesex. There, Vivienne went to a teacher training college and then taught at a primary school in North London.

Her first husband was Derek Westwood and together they had a child named Ben and their marriage lasted three years. Then Vivienne met Malcolm McLaren, later known for being the manager for punk band the Sex Pistols. Westwood and McLaren had a second son by the name of Joseph, and Vivienne continued to teach until 1971, when Malcolm decided to open a shop, 'Sex', and this is where Vivienne began to sell her outrageous designs.

The punk style came to life when band the Sex Pistols wore clothes from Westwood and McLaren's shop at their first gig. The 'punk style' included safety pins, razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains and dog collars on clothing as well as the outrageous make-up and hair.

Together, Vivienne and McLaren had revolutionised fashion and the impact is still felt today. Vivienne's first runway show was the Pirate collection in London, March 1981. She had evolved so that her main interests included not only the youth and street culture but also in tradition and technique.

She worked historical factors into her collection by using historical 17th-18th century original cutting principles and modernising them. This collection was all about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'.

Other influences in Vivienne's work included the ethnic Peruvian influence, the feminine figure and the look Queen Elizabeth the second held in her teenage years-velvet and knitwear however the historical influence was always shown in Vivienne's work.

Vivienne used to teach a fashion class at the University of Arts in Berlin.

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