Vivienne Westwood died on 29 December 2022 at the age of 81

A designer active on multiple fronts whose motto "when in doubt, overdress" encapsulates her philosophy of life and her work in both the fashion world and political and environmental activism. A champion of justice who defends the wellbeing of the Planet, people and animals against unjust government policies. An ingenious and creative mind who helped spread the punk style in the 1970s. Vivienne Westwood, who recently turned 80, is one of the most talked-about figures globally, thanks to her runway shows and protest campaigns aimed at raising awareness in the fashion industry and in politics about the importance of safeguarding the environment to counter the damage caused by climate change.

Who is Vivienne Westwood

Born and raised in England, Vivienne Isabel Swire took her surname from her first marriage to Derek Westwood, which officially ended in 1966. Vivienne always had a fervent passion for fashion and art, supplementing her teacher's salary by making and selling handcrafted jewellery on Portobello Road. Her career in clothing came later, specifically after meeting Malcolm Edwards McLaren, who would become her partner in life and in work. In 1971 they opened Let It Rock, their first shop selling clothes and old rock'n'roll records, which in 1979 would permanently take the name Worlds End.

Drawing inspiration from the revival of 1950s culture that was spreading through the streets of London, the young couple devised a modern reinterpretation of the union between rock'n'roll music and teddy boy fashion, inventing a new way of dressing made up of torn and ripped T-shirts, street bras, studs and transgressive combinations. This was merely the prelude to the punk style that would soon take the entire fashion world by storm.

Political and environmental activism

Vivienne Westwood made punk her creed in the fight against climate change too. "The climate revolution is punk. Punk lives! Same attitude, but with more developed, more solid ideas and hopefully more effective in changing the Earth than they were in the past," she recounts in her autobiography.

A nonconformist from an early age, she was drawn into the world of politics through Malcolm's influence, as he was a regular attendee at Socialist Workers Party meetings. Today she uses fashion and her creations as a means of launching protest messages against practices and policies that jeopardise the balance of our Planet. Notable examples include the runway show for the Vivienne Westwood Red Label SS 2016 collection, in which the models took to the catwalk staging a protest against fracking; her support for the Save The Arctic campaign to halt drilling and industrial fishing in the Arctic, which is severely affected by climate change; the T-shirts produced in collaboration with Marie Claire and People Tree to raise funds to be donated to indigenous tribes of the rainforest; and her environmental project announced at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympics, where she unfurled a banner bearing the name of the initiative, "Climate Revolution".

She is currently leading the #FurFreeBritain campaign, alongside Stella McCartney, bringing the issue of animal rights directly to the attention of the British government. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Vivienne Westwood and other well-known designers explicitly called for the United Kingdom to become the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur.

Her activism is not limited exclusively to environmental issues. Since 2005 Vivienne has been a member of Liberty, better known as the National Council for Civil Liberties, working in defence of human rights in the United Kingdom. In the same vein, she also collaborates with Reprieve and Amnesty International, two humanitarian organisations that address similar issues but on a global level.

Her fashion is sustainable and cruelty-free

Her fashion creations are consistent with her commitment to protecting the Planet and animal rights. A promoter of vegetarianism and a direct supporter of the non-profit organisation PETA for the protection of animals, all products bearing Vivienne Westwood's name are cruelty-free, free from animal skins and furs.

Aware of the impact of fashion on the environment, the designer chooses to use natural materials worked in ways that pollute as little as possible. At the same time, she seeks to raise consumers' awareness of the importance of clothing quality over quantity, through a slogan displayed inside her boutiques: "buy less, choose well, make it last." Because, as Vivienne Westwood reminds us, "what is good for the Planet is good for the economy. What is bad for the Planet is bad for the economy."