A/W 1991 Vivienne Westwood 'Dressing Up' Pink and Green Striped Corset
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 16.3 in (41.41 cm)Marked Size: 10 (UK)Bust: 30.2 in (76.71 cm)Waist: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. In very good vintage condition with light wear throughout, including slight pilling throughout interior (not noticeable when worn).
- Seller Location:North Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3084222371862
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: North Hollywood, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- S/S 1998 Atelier Versace Haute Couture Purple Strapless Oroton Chainmail TopBy Atelier VersaceLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 1998 Atelier Versace (Haute Couture) purple strapless Oroton chainmail top. Fully chainmail exterior with purple silk-satin interior lining. Atelier Versace signature 'Oroton' ch...Category
1990s Shirts
- A/W 1992 Vivienne Westwood 'Always on Camera' Rolls Royce Print CorsetBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1992 Vivienne Westwood 'Always on Camera' collection Rolls Royce print super rare denim corset. Fitted sleeveless corset with boning and blue and white Rolls Royce print on front...Category
1990s Shirts
- S/S 2006 Balenciaga White Lace and Neutral Semi-Sheer Paneled CorsetBy BalenciagaLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 2006 Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere white lace and neutral light tan semi-sheer paneled corset. Sleeveless top with sheer white lace bra cups, side detailing and trim, with con...Category
Early 2000s Shirts
- A/W 1988 Paco Rabanne Haute Couture Gold Chainmail Bustier GownBy Paco RabanneLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1988 Paco Rabanne Haute Couture gown with floral chainmail bust and black and gold feather patterned velvet sleeves. Features long gold cube drop chain with black tassel at back....Category
1980s Bustiers
- A/W 1994 Louis Feraud Haute Couture Embellished Embroidered Floral JumpsuitBy Louis FeraudLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1994 Louis Feraud Haute Couture ecru heavily embellished embroidered macrame floral jumpsuit, with gold, pearl, rhinestone and sequin details throughout. Scoop neck long sleeve j...Category
1990s Jumpsuits
- c. 1959 Jean Patou by Karl Lagerfeld Couture Strapless Blue Satin Evening GownBy Jean Patou Paris, Karl LagerfeldLocated in North Hollywood, CAc. 1959 Jean Patou by Karl Lagerfeld Couture strapless blue satin evening sheath gown. Matching oversized fabric buttons and large bow at back. Subtle wrap-like effect at back with c...Category
1950s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Givenchy Camouflage Velcro Patch Men's Polo Shirt Size LBy GivenchyLocated in Downey, CAGivenchy Camouflage Velcro Patch Men's Polo Shirt Size L A classic Givenchy polo with an added twist added on with velcro patch areas for you to make th...Category
2010s Portuguese Shirts
- Alexander Mcqueen Blue Classic MCQ Plaid Button Down Long Sleeve SZ Small ShirtBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Downey, CAAlexander Mcqueen Blue Classic Mcq Plaid Button Down Long Sleeve SZ Small Shirt This blue cotton button-down shirt from Alexander McQueen is a fine example of the label's contempora...Category
2010s Shirts
- Dsquared2 Pink L Dsq2 Classic Lake Shore Toronto 'Rebels' Men's Tee ShirtBy Dsquared2Located in Downey, CADsquared2 Pink L Dsq2 Classic Lake Shore Toronto 'Rebels' Men's Tee Shirt Pink cotton T-shirt from DSQUARED2 featuring a crew neck, short sleeves, a straight h...Category
2010s Italian T-Shirts
- 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
- Dsquared2 Grey and Navy Blue L DSQ2 Survival of the Tuffest Print Tee ShirtBy Dsquared2Located in Downey, CADsquared2 Grey and Navy Blue L DSQ2 Survival of the Tuffest Print Tee Shirt This grey cotton blend slogan destroyed T-shirt from DSQUARED2 features a round neck, short sleeves and a...Category
2010s Italian T-Shirts
- Gucci White Button-down Collared Men's Slim Size 39 ShirtBy GucciLocated in Downey, CAGucci White Button-down Collared Men's Slim Size 39 Shirt A perfect shirt for work or play, this GUCCI shirt has a classic touch to the button-down shirt with elegant detail. Wear t...Category
2010s Italian Shirts