Questions about the designer who dressed punk and then rewrote British history in tweed and corsets, answered from Ayerhs’s Westwood guide, A–Z and defining designs.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 31 October 2026
On this page: The designer · The collections · The house today · The Ayerhs view
The designer
Who was Vivienne Westwood?
A British designer, born in Derbyshire in 1941, who was working as a primary school teacher when she met Malcolm McLaren. Together they ran a shop at 430 King’s Road, London, which under names such as SEX and Seditionaries dressed the punk movement and the Sex Pistols. She died in December 2022, aged 81.
Read on Ayerhs: Vivienne Westwood – The complete guide · A–Z of Vivienne Westwood
What did Westwood do after punk?
She turned to history. From the Pirate collection of 1981 onwards, she reworked historical dress, from the crinoline (her “mini-crini”) to the corset, tartan, Harris tweed and 18th-century French painting, into rebellious modern clothes.
Was Vivienne Westwood an activist?
Yes, all her life: from punk’s anti-establishment stance to later campaigns on climate change and civil liberties, often carried on her runways and T-shirts. Her advice to “buy less, choose well, make it last” became a slogan for sustainable fashion.
Read on Ayerhs: The Politics of What We Wear
The collections
What are Vivienne Westwood’s defining designs?
- Bondage trousers and punk T-shirts from the King’s Road years
- The Pirate collection (1981)
- The mini-crini (1985)
- Corsets printed with 18th-century paintings
- The orb logo
- The towering platform shoes Naomi Campbell fell in on the runway in 1993
Read on Ayerhs: Vivienne Westwood in Twelve Pieces · French History Glam: Fall 1995 · A History of the Corset
The house today
Who designs Vivienne Westwood now?
Andreas Kronthaler, the Austrian designer who was her husband and longtime design partner. He has led the house since her death and shows in Paris, keeping its mix of punk tailoring and theatrical history.
The Ayerhs view
Why does Vivienne Westwood matter?
Because she showed that fashion can be both a history lesson and a protest, and that a British designer could rival Paris on her own terms.