Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Dame Vivienne Westwood watches rehearsals ahead of her show during London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2016/17 at the Royal College of Surgeons on February 21, 2016 in London, England.  (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Vivienne Westwood died at the age of 81 on December 29. The British fashion designer was known for her subversive approach and her punk aesthetic, and she continued to create until her death. “She led an incredible life. Her innovation and impact over the past 60 years has been immense and she will continue into the future,” she said in a statement shared on her eponymous brand’s Instagram. The cause of her death was not shared, but Westwood is said to have passed away “peacefully and surrounded by her family” in London.

The statement also highlighted Westwood’s belief in Taoism and shared this apt quote from the designer: “The Tao gives you a sense of belonging to the cosmos and gives your life purpose; it gives you a sense of identity and strength to know yourself.” “. You are living the life you can live and therefore you should be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth.”

Westwood was born in the English town of Tintwistle in 1941. His studies of fashion began when he studied jewelery and goldsmithing at the University of Westminster. She would later make her own wedding dress for her first marriage in 1962. By the early 1970s, however, Westwood was on the frontier of the burgeoning punk movement, running a boutique called simply Sex with her partner at the time, Malcolm McLaren. , who would later lead the Sex Pistols.

Westwood made his catwalk debut in 1981 with his “pirate” collection, made in collaboration with McLaren. Throughout the decades of her design, Westwood became known for often incorporating corset silhouettes, tartan fabrics and fetish embellishments. She is also famous for her fall 1993 collection, complete with nine-inch platform heels. (Naomi Campbell took a noticeable fall while she was walking in that show.)

Despite his disruptive nature, Westwood became a fixture both in fashion and, ironically, in British society. In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II made Westwood a Member of the Order of the British Empire, making her a Dame. Westwood wore sheer stockings and showed off for photographers as she collected the OBE from her at Buckingham Palace.

Westwood is survived by her husband, designer Andreas Kronthaler, and two sons, photographer Ben Westwood and Agent Provocateur co-founder Joseph Corré.

Source: news.google.com