Punk queen Vivienne Westwood turns 74 years young,

All hail the irreverent and unconventional Vivienne Westwood Queen of British fashion .Considered one of the most outspoken fashion designers in the world, Westwood rose to fame in the late 1970s.  Her early designs shocked society while they helped create  the look of the punk rock movement

The daughter of a cotton weaver and shoe-maker, Vivienne Westwood was born in Glossop, Derbyshire in 1941.The self-styled queen of punk revolutionised the fashion industry with her risqué creations. ‘Sex’, her seminal shop run with Malcolm McLaren, launched punk’s iconic look.

Most Renowned For

Clad in a flesh coloured, transparent dress with no underwear and a strategically placed fig leaf, Vivienne infamously sabotaged her own entrée into the establishment when she collected her OBE from the Queen in 1992.

Cultural Impact

Vivienne is famous for ripping up the pattern book. When the world was boob fixated, Vivenne introduced the ‘faux cul’ – a lightweight bustle focusing on the bottom. She gave us the bustier. Further more gave us her tartan 10 inch platform shoes from which Naomi Campbell famously toppled mid catwalk strut.

Vivienne is a notorious critic of the dumbing-down of culture while she remains resolutely subversive. Last year she made t-shirts bearing the slogan ‘I am not a terrorist, please don’t arrest me.’

Her unconventional collections have established her global reputation as one of Britain’s most original designers.

Today having been named designer of the year twice and with an Order of the British Empire finally Westwood has earned our respect. The influence of Vivienne Westwood on international fashion is un measureable.
Happy Birthday  old gal                       Ciao for now Jandrew