Vivienne Westwood stores in London
As another fashion capital of the world, London has a lot to offer in the way of diversity, originality and imagination and nobody personifies British fashion quite like Vivienne Westwood. She is one of the UK’s most culturally significant British fashion designers due to her tireless individualism, and her constant exploration and reinterpretation of style.
Her clothes have been described as many things but everyone in the fashion industry has to agree that she has been incredibly influential and will go down in history as the fashion designer most closely associated with punk, the youth subculture that emerged in Britain during the 70s. She originally opened a shop in London selling a collection of what could be considered a controversial line of clothing but which captured the subversive power of punk style of the time. However, her artistic influence stretches beyond punk style and Westwood has since then branched out and experimented with other sub-cultures whilst continuing to defy the predictability of mainstream fashion.
Today, her global empire comprises the semi-couture line Gold Label, a ready-to-wear Red Label, Vivienne Westwood Man and the denim line Anglomania. In addition, she has her own perfumes (Boudoir and Libertine), her own successful line of knitwear and accessories, has been voted British Designer of the year for two years running in 1990 ad 1991, has been honoured with the order of the British Empire in 1992, and received an OBE from the Queen in 2006. Now how many to fashion designers can say that! If you want to see some of her work Vivienne Westwood will be bringing some of her cutting-edge fashion to the catwalk during the London Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2010/2011 taking place from February the 19th to the 24th where she will be presenting her red label collection.
In the meantime, fashion fanatics don’t despair because there are not one but three Vivienne Westwood exclusively owned shops located in London to keep you going (one located quite central in Mayfair – Happy days!), amongst many fashionable shops featuring other top designer clothing.