A/W 1992 Vivienne Westwood 'Always on Camera' Rolls Royce Print Corset
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 16.9 in (42.93 cm)Marked Size: 10 (UK)Bust: 33 in (83.82 cm)Waist: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Period:
- Material Notes:Cotton denim construction.
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:North Hollywood, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3084220062632
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.
- 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
- 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 1991 Vivienne Westwood 'Dressing Up' Pink and Green Striped CorsetBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in North Hollywood, CAA/W 1991 Vivienne Westwood 'Dressing Up' Collection pink and green striped corset. Sleeveless 18th-Century inspired pink corset with green stripe pattern throughout. Stretch side pan...Category
1990s Shirts
- S/S 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen Blue and White Houndstooth PantsuitBy GivenchyLocated in North Hollywood, CAS/S 1999 Givenchy by Alexander McQueen blue and white micro houndstooth patterned pantsuit. Jacket features two center front button closures and functional side flap pockets, with wh...Category
1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 2000's Jean Paul Gaultier 'Soleil' Red Below-Knee Sleeveless DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in North Hollywood, CA2000's Jean Paul Gaultier 'Soleil' red below-knee sleeveless dress. V-neck dress with gathered, fitted drop waist and gathered straps. Fabric Contents: 100% Nylon (feels like stretch...Category
Early 2000s Day Dresses
- 1980's Stephen Sprouse Turquoise Sequin Above-Knee SkirtLocated in North Hollywood, CA1980's Stephen Sprouse turquoise fully sequined skirt. Concealed back zip closure and small center back slit. Boning at sides and wide hip creates subtle 'mod' silhouette. Fabric Con...Category
1980s Skirts
- D&G Dolce & Gabbana Tube Top With “Vancouver” LogoBy D&G by DOLCE & GABBANALocated in Hoffman Estates, ILDescription: D&G tube top with Vancouver logo. Specifications: Size MCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Strapless Tops
- GUCCI RTW FW 2009 silk lurex ShirtBy GucciLocated in Genève, CHFabulous silk metallic shirt from Gucci Fall 2009 RTW Collection designed by Frida Giannini -Metallic fabric double effect in grey and purple -Closed ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Chemises
- Just Cavalli Printed Butterfly ShirtBy CavalliLocated in London, GBCavalli Printed Butterfly Top Just Cavalli Printed Butterfly Shirt Rare CONDITION: This item is a vintage/pre-worn piece so some signs of natural wear and age are to be expected....Category
Early 2000s Collars
- Jean Paul Gaultier Venus De Milo Japanese Mesh Long Sleeve TopBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GBJean Paul Gaultier Top Venus De Milo Japanese Mesh Long Sleeve Iconic Print Lightweight Stretchy Silky Mesh Material Features scarf detail, and tie front Cardigan. 100% Auth...Category
1990s Tunics
- Moschino vintage velour velvet top t-shirtBy MoschinoLocated in London, GBMoschino vintage velour velvet top t-shirt condition: this item is a vintage/pre-worn piece so some signs of natural wear and age are to be expected. however in good general conditi...Category
2010s T-Shirts
- iceberg jeans vintage felix stripe print TopLocated in London, GBiceberg jeans vintage felix stripe print Top iconic cartoon print top only condition: this item is a vintage/pre-worn piece so some signs of natural wear and age are to be expecte...Category
1990s Sleeveless Shirts