Vivienne Westwood, 81, Dies; Bringing Provocative Punk Style to High Fashion

Vivienne Westwood, the designer who defined the punk look, using rock iconography, royalty, art and religion as a recurring motif in a collection that brought her rebellious streak to British style, and who went on to continue a long career in high fashion, died Thursday in the Clapham neighborhood in South London. He is 81 years old.

His death was announced by his company, Vivienne Westwood, which did not specify a cause.

Miss Westwood was only 30 years old when she and her boyfriend, Malcolm McLaren who as music impresario would manage the Sex Pistols opened a store called Let It Rock at 430 Kings Road in London. The business, which has a pink vinyl sign out front, is an unconventional one, selling fetish clothing and fashions inspired by the 1950s Teddy Boy look.

In shaping the look of the times, Ms. Westwood became known as punk’s godmother. After his partnership with Mr. McClaren ended, he began designing collections under his own name, and he soon established an international reputation. He went on to open more shops in London and around the world; her provocative creations appear on supermodels and celebrities and influence mainstream fashion. Corsets, platform shoes and mini-crinis (a combination of Victorian crinolines and miniskirts) were her trademark.

People really associate her with punk and that whole aesthetic, which is accurate and how she made her name, but she’s so much more than that, says Vronique Hyland, author of Dress Code: Unlocking Fashion From the New Look to Millennial Pink (2022). ). He was influenced by art history, painting by old masters. He is very focused on the British sewing tradition.

In a memoir published in 2014 and referred to simply as Vivienne Westwood, Ms. Westwood wrote that people are still surprised that you can be punk and then also be couture, but it’s all connected.

It’s not about fashion, you know, he wrote. For me, it’s about the story. It’s about ideas.

The Kings Road store has always been a peek into its owner’s obsession involving class, fashion and modesty. As the years went by, his name often changed to a variety known as Let It Rock; Too soon to live too young to die; Sex; agitator; and the End of the World. Merchandise also changes frequently.

Ms Westwood makes the garments, which may include shirts with pinup girl cutouts or studded garments made from T-shirts.

I don’t see myself as a fashion designer but as someone who wants to confront the rotten status quo through the way I dress and dress others, said Ms. Westwood in his memoir, which he wrote with Ian Kelly.

Chrissie Hynde, who later became the lead singer of Pretenders, became an assistant at the store. He wrote in his memoirs that I don’t think punk would have happened without Vivienne and Malcolm.

Something will happen, he continued, and it may be called punk, but it won’t be seen that way, even in America. And the look is important.

The full obituary will follow.