Vivienne Westwood’s world was larger than it seemed – she never followed trends: she reinvented them. Most designers who achieve this kind of world domination are pretty loud about it. But Westwood? Her clothes did all the talking. Westwood truly embodied the mission “to destroy the word conformity” through her pieces. Crafting collections that thrived on contradiction, blending chaos and elegance in ways most designers could only aspire to achieve in a lifetime.
Westwood fused style with substance, redefining fashion’s trajectory while using her influence to advocate for the world – long before sustainable fashion became the quote “du jour”. Seamlessly stitching activism into her designs, Westwood’s influence transcended fashion, with her runway collections serving as a bold platform from her perspective. Who else could take the margins of 18th-century corsetry and rework them into something that felt both provocative and timeless, turning history into high culture fashion? Her collections were a bold collaboration of state of mentality, satire, and haute couture quality, addressing these pressing issues long before they became industry talking points. High culture has long defined the boundaries of fashion, setting the standard for elegance, prestige, and exclusivity.
Image Credit: WWD
But Westwood wasn’t only curating high culture; she was curating statements. When trends followed one path, she chose another, shaping her own bold course. Her legacy isn’t just in the fabrics she draped, tore or sculpted; it’s in her fearless refusal to conform. It’s found in her rejection of fleeting trends. Westwood didn’t dress to fit in; she dressed to challenge, to start those conversations.
For her, style was never about fitting in with this season’s must-haves—it was about questioning the norm, turning defiance into something timeless, and designing with a purpose in something greater than fashion itself. She wasn’t just revising trends – she was about changing them entirely, proving that true fashion isn’t about what’s popular, but what lasts.
In 2025, Vivienne Westwood’s name still reverberates through the halls of fashion, a testament to the power of timelessness. Her pieces aren’t just fashion; they’re history. By blending punk with couture, history with modernity, and anarchy with artistry, she didn’t just exist in high culture—she was it. And with the rise of “rejection therapy” on TikTok, perhaps it’s time for more people to take a page from Westwood’s book, embracing the power of saying no to the expected and yes to what truly lasts.
Trends have always been a conversation between past and present, but Westwood was never one for small talk. Take the Mini-Crini which combined the structured Victorian crinoline with the youthful modern mini-skirt. First seen in her SS85 collection, it was a blend of femininity and structure, reinvented with a bold, modern edge, so historical yet ahead of its time. Her daring reinvention of corsets and crinolines transformed them from symbols of constraint into statements of power and glamour redefining traditional beauty standards in the process.
Rochas, Monse, Dior SS23/Catwalk Pictures. Image Credit: Fashion United
As one of the first designers to turn corsets from hidden undergarments into bold statements of style, they became an essential part of her aesthetic, from the iconic pieces that defined her collections to the recent revival of the Glasson corset, now a must-have in every fashion-forward wardrobe. With a spirit of anti-fashion, she pushed boundaries, experimenting with draping, tearing, and patching fabrics like satin, cotton, and denim, transforming them into raw, unfinished beauty for her collections. Her SS13 show closed with the dramatic reveal of a “Climate Revolution” banner, proving that for Westwood, fashion wasn’t just about clothes—it was a statement, a protest, a call for change.
In 2012, Vivienne inaugurated the Climate Revolution at the London Paralympics closing ceremony. Image Credit: Vivienne Westwood
There are runway moments that make headlines, and then there are those that change the conversation. Vivienne Westwood was a master of the latter. Take her 1990 Portrait Collection—skirts billowed, waists boned, and bodices spilt over in a way that exaggerated femininity but still felt both in a way historical and rebellious. The models were thin, as they always were, but Westwood’s designs didn’t just fit their frames—they transformed them, creating silhouettes that felt fuller, more powerful.
Vivienne Westwood, “Portrait Collection” Corset. Image Credit: Vivienne Westwood
It wasn’t about expanding beauty standards; it was about completely reimagining them. And then, there was Kate Moss in 1995—strutting down the runway in nothing but a mini skirt, casually holding a Magnum ice cream, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was a moment that perfectly captured Westwood’s blend of indulgence, confidence and unapologetic rebellion. A model, half-dressed, eating ice cream on a catwalk? It was a display of power—effortless and undeniable. But, of course, as with everything Westwood, it ignited controversy. Was it fashion? A statement of defiance? A bold challenge to the industry’s suffocating expectations? Perhaps all of the above. Because if there’s one thing Westwood showed us, it’s that fashion is never just about the clothes. It’s about making a statement—whether it’s stitched into a corset, draped into a gown, or melting in the hands of an icon.
Kate Moss for Vivienne Westwood’s Spring/ Summer 1994 “Café Society” runway show. Image Credit: The Westwood Archives
Vivienne Westwood was more than a designer; she was a catalyst, pushing fashion into new realms, while using her influence to stand up for something greater. In a world, obsessed with trends, she refused to follow. Her legacy isn’t just the tartan, the corsets or the deconstructed tailoring, it’s her bold refusal to conform, her unwavering commitment to individuality, and her ability for making fashion both provocative and timeless. Vivienne Westwood showed us that true style isn’t about chasing what’s trending—it’s about shaping the future.
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