Britain’s fashion icon, Vivienne Westwood, who combined both music and fashion together to help define punk and brought rebellious politics to the red carpet, died on Thursday at 81.
The statement on social media read: “Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London.
“Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better.
“She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.”
29th December 2022.
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. pic.twitter.com/YQwVixYUrV
— Vivienne Westwood (@FollowWestwood) December 29, 2022
Also known as ‘the Queen of British Fashion’, Westwood’s family said that she made provocation itself into art, from the black leather bondage that she popularised in the 1970s to the time she went to Buckingham Palace without wearing underwear to receive her Damewood from the late Queen Elizabeth 2.
Westwood’s husband and creative partner, Andreas Kronthaler, 56, said about going on without her: “I will continue with Vivienne in my heart. We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with. Thank you darling.”
Westwood has been praised for bringing punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream and shot to fame after she made clothes for the Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren’s famous fashion boutique on the King’s Road, London, known as ‘SEX’.
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