British designer Vivienne Westwood, a pioneer of punk fashion, has died aged 81, her family said on Thursday.
“Vivienne Westwood passed away peacefully today surrounded by her family in Clapham, south London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a difference for the better,” Westwood’s fashion label Twitter account said.
“We worked our way up and she gave me a lot to go on. Thank you, love,” announced Westwood’s husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler.
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London called Westwood “a real revolutionary and rebellious force in fashion”, while UK Culture Minister Michelle Donelan described her as “an exceptional personality”.
“Her punk style rewrote the rules in the 70s and she was widely admired for staying true to her values throughout her life,” Donnellan tweeted.
Vivienne Izabel Swire, first married to Westwood, was born on April 8, 1941 in Cheshire County in the family of a shoemaker and a cotton factory worker. In 1958 the family moved to London, where she studied Vivienne at an art school for a year, then she worked as a teacher and married a factory worker, Derek Westwood.
Westwood’s life took a turn when she divorced her first husband and became the girlfriend of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Westwood and McLaren jointly opened a clothes shop on London’s Kings Road, which became the epicenter of the punk movement.
At the height of its popularity, this shop called “SEX” sold ripped T-shirts, latex and leather accessories that became provocative uniforms for a generation trying to break down the last cultural taboos.
Westwood later claimed she had no interest in becoming a fashion designer and only did so to support McLaren’s ambitions. His first “Pirate Collection” show was held in 1981 and became an instant success.
In 1992, Westwood married Austrian Andreas Kronthaler, her former student, who was 25 years her junior. Kronthaler became her creative director and over the next few years took over much of her design work.
By the turn of the century, Westwood had risen to true celebrity, designing wedding gowns not just for the elite, but for iconic TV personalities and even Miss Piggy.
Over the next few years, Westwood became known as a political activist, opposing arbitrary detention and nuclear weapons, but especially supporting nature conservation and organizations such as Greenpeace.
