The pioneering designer was considered one of Britain’s greatest fashion icons.
Known for her modern punk aesthetic, the fashion maverick, Vivienne Westwood dies at age 81. She died peacefully surrounded by her family in Clapham, South London, a representative for Westwood confirmed. Before her death, Westwood was doing everything she loved, from designing, being a passionate activist, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world. In a statement on Instagram, her fashion house stated “She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.”
Vivienne Isabel Swire was born on 8 April 1941, in the village of Tintwistle, Cheshire before she changed the fashion industry. Westwood’s family moved to London in 1957, where she attended art school for one term. The self-taught designer had no formal fashion training but still learned how to make clothes as a teenager by following patterns and by taking apart secondhand clothes she found at markets to understand fashion design. She brought elements of punk and new wave style to the mainstream with her designs beginning in the 1970s. Since fashion darlings and enthusiasts have looked up to her for her power in expression.
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