Vivienne Westwood taupe lace and knitted adjustable bra, ss 1996
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Small (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14029353302
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Azzedine Alaia copper acetate bandage skirt and bodysuit, ss 1986By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB▪ Azzedine Alaia copper bandage skirt and bodysuit ▪ 100% Acetate ▪ Eight connecting panels ▪ Skin bearing lace-up string fastening ▪ Halterneck bodysuit ▪ Size Small ▪ Sprin...Category
1980s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Vivienne Westwood chevron cotton corset with Japanese ukiyo-e print, ss 2000By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBPresenting an exquisite Vivienne Westwood corset top artfully crafted from teal chevron-printed cotton, adorned with a captivating Japanese-inspired ukiyo-e print. This intricate art...Category
1990s British Corsets
- Vivienne Westwood Spring-Summer 1992 brown leather corset and mini skirtBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood Spring-Summer 1992 brown leather corset with boning, zip fastening and two long tie-up sashes at the front. High waisted mini skirt with slit at the rear.Category
1990s British Skirt Suits
- Roberto Cavalli red and gold brocade-print silk corset and skirt set, fw 2004By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GB▪ Roberto Cavalli silk corset and skirt set ▪ Red and gold brocade-print ▪ Corset top with boning and halter-neck straps which criss-cross at the front ▪ Mini skirt with multiple s...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- John Galliano red lycra bodysuit c.1990By John GallianoLocated in London, GBRed bodysuit by John Galliano circa 1990Category
1990s British Bodysuits
- Vivienne Westwood gold crochet lurex long-sleeve cropped corset, fw 1993By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood corset ▪ Gold crocheted lurex yarn ▪ Built-in boned corset ▪ Long sleeves ▪ Wide neckline ▪ Cropped length ▪ Size Medium ▪ Fall-Winter 1993 ▪ Made in EnglandCategory
1990s English Corsets
- 1970s Handmade Japanese Pink Cotton Long KimonoLocated in Scottsdale, AZDo not miss out on the 1970s Handmade Japanese Pink Cotton Long Kimono—a captivating and unique treasure that beautifully embodies the artistry of traditional Japanese craftsmanship....Category
1970s Japanese Robes
- Vintage Tan Kimono With Purple and Red Lamé Circles Dots & Pink LiningLocated in Portland, ORWe love vintage kimonos and this is a really wonderful one! This tan kimono has red and purple lamé circles or dots throughout. This raw silk kimono has pink silk lining at the top ...Category
20th Century Japanese Loungewear
- SEASHELL BAROQUE LEGGINGS from MIAMI MANSION GIANNI VERSACE PERSONAL COLLECTIONBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Montgomery, TXGIANNI VERSACE VINTAGE SEASHELL BAROQUE LEGGINGS Beaded with golden rivets Animal Print Content: 60% viscose, 40% polyester Comes with Versace hanger and Versace travel garment...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Bodysuits
- Dolce & Gabbana Lace Corset Top With Blue Laces 2002By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage Dolce & Gabbana D&G champagne lace and satin bustier corset lingerie top featuring demi bust cups, blue satin laces and bows, ruffl...Category
Early 2000s Italian Corsets
- 1940S Burgundy Rayon Geometric Printed Mens RobeLocated in New York, NY1940S Burgundy Rayon Geometric Printed Mens RobeCategory
1940s Robes
- 1950S Burgundy Paisley Rayon Robe Made In EnglandBy Christian DiorLocated in New York, NY1950S Burgundy Paisley Rayon Robe Made In EnglandCategory
1950s French Robes
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Vivienne Westwood’s Punk Spirit Lives On in This ’90s Tartan Ensemble
The shorts suit in a mash-up of patterns with an asymmetrical cut speaks to the designer’s rebellious spirit.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.