Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood is a UK-based fashion designer best known for creating the look of the original punk rock movement in the 1970s. With a background in art, fashion and jewelry, Westwood began life as a primary school teacher who earned money on the side with her original jewelry designs. She met musician and entrepreneur Malcolm McClaren (who would go on to manage such legendary punk and New Wave musicians as the Sex Pistols, New York Dolls and Bow Wow Wow), and the two opened a boutique at 430 Kings Road. Taking inspiration from underground biker and fetish cultures, the shop offered unusual clothing made of leather and rubber, and featuring spikes, chains, safety pins and razor blades as embellishments. The shop's name would evolve over time from Let It Rock to Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die and Seditionaries. The shop and its clothing became popular with a rising youth culture that would eventually become known as Punk. As the 1970s came to a close and punk became absorbed in mainstream culture, the shop at 430 Kings Road changed its name to Worlds End, and re-vamped the clothing it sold. Westwood's designs in the 1980s were varied in their artistic inspiration. An early collection capitalized on the New Romantic movement in fashion and music and offered clothing with a Pirate theme. Later collections in the 1980s, which Westwood has dubbed the "Early Years," were inspired by history, pop culture, cities and third world cultures. Westwood ended her association with Malcolm McClaren in 1983. The designer reinvented herself and her fashions in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a period she describes as the "Pagan Years." Tradition British fabrics such as Harris Tweed were featured, and the designs were inspired by historical events and fashions of the past. The remainder of the 1990s are referred to by Westwood as the "Anglomania" years, in which she explored a traditional feminine silhouette, exaggerated by padding and bustles. Historical inspirations continued with a Tudor-inspired line in 1997-1998. The era from 2000 through today is described by Westwood as "Exploration," as she focuses more on the dynamics of the fabric she uses and the cutting and tailoring techniques that create the design. Vivienne Westwood partners with Coty to offer fragrances under her name. The first perfume, Boudoir, was introduced in 1998. Other fragrances in the collection have borne the name of her boutique (Let It Rock), and the name of a fashion era in her history (Anglomania). The "Alice" collection, including Naughty Alice and Cheeky Alice so far, are the most recent offerings in Westwood's line. Designer Vivienne Westwood has 11 perfumes in our fragrance base. The earliest edition was created in 1998 and the newest is from 2014. Vivienne Westwood fragrances were made in collaboration with perfumers Dominique Ropion, Martin Gras, Marie Salamagne and Bruno Jovanovic.