Rare Vivienne Westwood 3 Suisses AW 1995/ 1996 Collab Checked Tartan Wool Coat
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 12 (UK)Bust: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 33 in (83.82 cm)
- Style:1990's (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Sheffield, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3407222437082
Vivienne Westwood
For someone who regularly swatted away the industry that made her, audacious British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood certainly knew her way around a garment. And she knew how to provoke. “I don’t follow fashion,” Westwood once told the New York Times. “I’ve never been interested in it.” Collectors are certainly interested in her work, and vintage Vivienne Westwood dresses, handbags, lingerie and jackets have become very desirable over the years.
Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in a village in Derbyshire, in central England, but moved to London as a teen. In the early 1960s, she began to make her own necklaces and other jewelry and met an artist, activist and entrepreneur named Malcolm McLaren. They became involved romantically and she made clothes for him in the style of the Teddy Boys — the city’s music-crazed, occasionally violent teenagers at the time who wore high-waisted trousers and tailored velvet blazers that drew on Edwardian-era fashions.
Westwood and McLaren opened a vintage shop on King’s Road in London in 1971. The flared denim and peasant blouses of the 1960s, then still popular with the “peace and love” set, didn’t hold any weight for Westwood. Instead, she was interested in provocative, edgy apparel. She repaired used clothing and endeavored to create bold new designs from scratch.
Together Westwood and McLaren sold older rock-and-roll records, customized T-shirts with antiestablishment slogans, biker jackets and snug trousers inspired by the Marlon Brando film The Wild One as well as bondage fetish wear. The shop, once called Let It Rock and then Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die before Sex became a more appropriate moniker, evolved into a youth mecca. The DIY garments — zippered tops, burnt tees emblazoned with anarchist messages — flew off the shelves. More notably, it brought punk to the masses.
Westwood was soon dressing the Sex Pistols, a band that McLaren managed, all the while bridging the gap between music and fashion in a manner that has reverberated throughout the industry for decades.
In 1981, the couple’s first fashion show marked the debut of their Pirate collection — a swashbuckler-themed line that sprang from Westwood’s research into Indigenous Americans and the “power garments” of the Louis XIV era. The collection’s ample proportions and cutting-edge tailoring countered punk’s geometry and tight latex fits as well as what rocker Adam Ant called the “Puritanism” that plagued England at the time. The Pirate collection’s enduring influence on the world of fashion as well as the theatrical work of designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen is undeniable.
For the colorful corsets of her 1990 Portrait collection, Westwood drew on 18th-century oil paintings — her models donned the pearl necklaces that have become a social media star and a favorite of influencers and fashion lovers all over the world. For a jacket-and-shorts suit from her Fall/Winter 1996–97 Storm in a Teacup line, the designer used the extreme asymmetry of a tartan mash-up to confront, according to Westwood, “the horror of uniformity and minimalism.”
The self-taught Westwood enjoyed a rapid ascent in fashion, with British society embracing her looks and Vogue immortalizing them in its glossy pages. She garnered accolades for introducing corsets to the runway and dressed Kate Moss and Helena Bonham Carter. And an original Vivienne Westwood wedding dress is featured in 2008’s Sex and the City film.
The fires of political and environmental activism burned brightly for Westwood: She was a Greenpeace ambassador, having designed the organization’s official “Save the Arctic” logo; her clothing brand is committed to using recycled canvas and other eco-friendly materials in the production process; and in 2020, she protested the extradition of Julian Assange by suspending herself in a bird cage outside London’s Old Bailey court. But she will always be the grande dame of British design.
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Vivienne Westwood shirts, shoes, gowns and other items today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- 1990's Moschino 'Hunchback' Funny Slogan Camp Logo Waist Coat in BlackBy Moschino, Franco MoschinoLocated in Sheffield, GBVintage 1990's Moschino 'Hunchback' logo waist coat crafted from a Black Virgin wool with a satin feel fully adjustable back. MADE IN ITALY Features: Cheap & Chic Label Virgin Woo...Category
1990s Italian Coats
- Y2K Christian Dior Spring 2006 Blue Denim Trotter Print Trench CoatBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in Sheffield, GBA rare iconic Vintage Trench Coat by John Galliano for Christian Dior, from the Spring 2006 'Remove before flight' capsule collection, a fully monogrammed CHRISTIAN DIOR belted trenc...Category
Early 2000s European Trench Coats
- Vintage Escada Electric Blue Ostrich Feather BoaBy EscadaLocated in Sheffield, GBExquisite ESCADA plush Ostrich feather boa in electric blue. Features; Dyed electric blue colour 100% Ostrich feather Sizing; Length; 80'' Recommen...Category
Late 20th Century Capes
- DOLCE & GABBANA 1990's 'D&G' TAPE LOGO JACKETBy D&G by DOLCE & GABBANALocated in Sheffield, GB1990's DOLCE & GABBANA off-white nylon jacket, featuring removeable 'D&G' taped velcro patch to the front and taped 'D&G' spellout to the reverse. Features; Removeable D&G Velcro ...Category
1990s Italian Anoraks and Parkas
- Rare Archival Vintage Moschino 1993/94 Flamenco style Romper Playsuit DressBy Moschino, Franco MoschinoLocated in Sheffield, GBRare Archival Moschino 1993/94 Runway Flamenco Playsuit ! This epic vintage 'Cheap and chic' label romper consisting of a fitted long sleeved bodycon pl...Category
1990s Italian Capes
- 1990's Vintage Moschino Cropped Quilted Orange Bomber Jacket Gilet VestBy MoschinoLocated in Sheffield, GBIncredible Vintage 1990's Moschino jeans quilted, cropped bomber vest, in satsuma orange with contrast black piping and iconic peace shaped metal hardware. MADE IN ITALY Features:...Category
1990s Italian Bomber Jackets
- Chanel Chartreuse Lambskin 3/4 Coat - 40 - 04CBy ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Chartreuse Lambskin 3/4 Coat - 40 - 04C. This beautiful 3/4 coat has 4 pocket slits, big "CC" buttons, long sleeves and a collar. It is in ver...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Coats and Outerwear
- Thom Browne Blue XS Classic Chesterfield FW18 Cavalry Twill Overcoat Jacket CoatBy Thom BrowneLocated in Downey, CAThom Browne Blue XSClassic Chesterfield FW18 Cavalry Twill Overcoat Jacket Coat This classic Thom Browne wool peacoat is a timeless investment piece for...Category
2010s Italian Overcoats
- James Perse Gray Wool Black Ribbed Trench Coat ShirtLocated in Downey, CAJames Perse Gray Wool Black Ribbed Trench Coat Shirt James Perse simple takes on coats are a must have for your closet! Made with quality materials and made in the USA . Add a stapl...Category
2010s American Coats
- Burberry Brit Olive L Two Tone Nylon Bomber Jacket Size ShirtBy BurberryLocated in Downey, CABurberry Brit Olive L Two Tone Nylon Bomber Jacket Size Shirt A perfect bomber for any cold or rainy day. Made by Burberry Brit, it has attention to details while retaining a minima...Category
2010s Thai Bomber Jackets
- S.T. Dupont Motorsport Nascar Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon Reversible CoatLocated in Downey, CAS.T. Dupont Motorsport Nascar Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon Reversible Coat This Oversize Multi Fabric Blend Reversible Jeff Gordon Bomber Jacket is cool and stylish. It features...Category
2010s Coats
- Comme Des Garcons X Supreme Polka Dot Logo Print Men's HoodieBy Comme des GarçonsLocated in Downey, CAComme Des Garcons X Supreme Polka Dot Logo Print Men's Hoodie The Comme Des Garcons x SUPREME polka dot box logo pullover hoodie is another fine example of the minimal styling and a...Category
2010s Japanese Hooded Jackets