Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection
‘You have a more interesting life if you wear impressive clothes.’
No one could have said it better than the renowned fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, who had a passion for not just fashion but sustainability.
I believe that this quote is a double entendre: life would be better if you dressed well, and your life would be better if you chose good, sustainable choices for clothes.
While both make sense, I feel like Dame Westwood would emphasize the second meaning more, seeing as how she was passionate about sustainable fashion.
If you are interested in Vivienne Westwood's works, whether as a fashion designer or an activist, this exhibition will give you a glimpse of how she links fashion to activism.
Located on King St, this exhibition is hosted by Christie’s, an art auction company that will auction off some of Westwood’s pieces.
All the proceeds of the sale would be donated to the causes that Westwood has supported during her lifetime, particularly The Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Greenpeace.
On the day we went, several other events were happening in the building, making the line longer than usual. It seems that the works of the eccentric designer have garnered people, young and old, to look at her collection.
It was amazing to see so many people put on their Vivienne Westwood pieces and style them in their own unique ways, an effort that I think the designer would appreciate.
However, because many of us had booked a ticket for the exhibition (free), the process was much quicker, and we were shortly let in despite the long line stretching around the building.
The exhibition was held on the top floor, not very hard to miss because that’s where the crowd is heading towards.
The first thing you notice when you enter the exhibition space is the wonderful array of clothing on display, as well as clips of fashion runways, Vivienne herself, and quotes projected on screens and walls.
Many of her iconic pieces, from her own wardrobe or her creation of four decades ago to her most recent, were put out for display.
It was all neatly placed based on the collection which is indicated above the pieces.
The clothing was beautiful and made me wish that I could be the one buying it off the auction. Moreover, on top of clothes, her jewelry line and shoe designs were also on display.
What I really liked most were the titles of her fashion collection; they were lyrical and unique, almost like reading a track list for a musician's album.
I thought this made her clothing have more character and stand out from other brands, but I want to put a disclaimer that I am not a fashion expert and I am unsure if other brands do this.
As mentioned, several other events were happening on this particular day we went. We found out that there were talks on fashion sustainability and even a DJ came to play background music inspired by natural sounds from animals, forests, etc. It was very complementary to the values of the designer and her works.
Because of these additional events, a ticket booking was warranted, but if you went on any other day, a ticket is not needed, and you could just walk in to view the exhibition.
Dame Vivienne Westwood is an inspirational person who has shown us that art can be used in powerful ways to address important issues that plague humanity today. She is a true pioneer in the fashion world, and we can all learn from her!
“The art lover is a freedom fighter. - Vivienne Westwood”
Location:
8 King St, St. James's, London SW1Y 6QT
Dates:
14 June - 28 June
Written by Althea Scully