As the person who dressed the Sex Pistols, Vivienne Westwood, who died on Thursday at the age of 81, was synonymous with 1970s punk rock, a rebelliousness that remained the hallmark of an unapologetically political designer who became one of British fashion's biggest names.
"Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better," her fashion house said on Twitter.
"The only reason I am in fashion is to destroy the word 'conformity'," Westwood said in her 2014 biography. "Nothing is interesting to me unless it's got that element." They used prints of swastikas, naked breasts and, perhaps most well-known, an image of the queen with a safety pin through her lips. Favourite items included sleeveless black T-shirts, studded, with zips, safety pins or bleached chicken bones.
While she taught at a primary school, she met her first husband, Derek Westwood, marrying him in a homemade dress. Their son Ben was born in 1963, and the couple divorced in 1966.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood Dead at 81Vivienne Westwood -- whose fashion designs are largely credited for bringing punk styles to the mainstream -- has died.
Read more »
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood dead at 81The style icon passed away “peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London,” according to a tweet from her namesake fashion house.
Read more »
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood dies at 81BREAKING: Vivienne Westwood, the fashion designer who made punk and new wave fashion mainstream, has died. She was 81.
Read more »
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood dies at 81Vivienne Westwood, an influential fashion maverick who played a key role in the punk movement, died Thursday at 81.
Read more »
Vivienne Westwood, influential fashion maverick, dies at 81English designer Vivienne Westwood has died at 81.
Read more »
Fashion Designer Vivienne Westwood Dead At 81Westwood was known for her punk-rock looks.
Read more »