Vivienne Westwood Fashion Designer (PDF)

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Fashion Designers Text focus: Information Text Vivienne Westwood Born in 1941, Vivienne Westwood was a world-famous British fashion designer. She was born in D...

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Fashion Designers Text focus: Information Text Vivienne Westwood Born in 1941, Vivienne Westwood was a world-famous British fashion designer. She was born in Derbyshire, but her ideas and skills had an influence on fashion the world over. Westwood didn’t just design clothes like other fashion designers. Instead, she used her designs to tell stories and express a message about topics that she cared for. Vivienne wasn’t always a fashion designer. Her first career was as a teacher. Her maiden name (the surname she was born with) was Swire. She married Derek Westwood in 1962 and took his surname. They divorced in 1965, but she remained Vivienne Westwood until she died in 2022. After divorcing Derek, Vivienne fell in love with a man named Malcolm McLaren. This relationship would change her life. McLaren was a punk rocker. Punk Rock was a movement in the 1970s filled with people who wanted to rebel against what they were told to do. They wore ripped clothes, leather and lots of metal accessories like safety pins and studs. Vivienne loved the idea. Punk was an important influence on her designs. McLaren was a band manager and looked after several punk bands. Vivienne was fascinated by clothes and fashion. Together, they opened a market stall called Let It Rock. They sold second-hand clothes and rock records. Vivienne started to modify vintage clothes and make them more “punky” in style. These were extremely popular. In 1971, they opened their own shop and began to work on a range of clothes of their own. They showcased their first full range in 1981. It was called Pirates. Westwood and McLaren separated soon after but continued to work together for another five years. Punk wasn’t the only influence on Westwood’s designs. She took inspiration from classical art, historical fashion and the ways that different materials work together. Her brand was named after herself, which is common for fashion designers. She owned several shops around the world that sold everything from A bride’s dresses to glasses and perfumes to shoes. ding ro Rea und all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com Climate change and the impact of fashion on the world were always important to Westwood. The idea of Punk was to fight for what you believed in. This stuck with her throughout her life, and she often used her designs to get across messages that she believed in. Fast fashion was one thing that Westwood didn’t like. She encouraged people to buy clothes that would last for a long time and could be worn again and again. She designed clothes that fit this ethos. She produced two different ranges for men and three for women each year. Fast fashion brands tend to produce new ranges each month. Her hope was that people would think more before buying new clothes. RETRIEVAL FOCUS 1. What nationality was Westwood? 2. Who did she marry? 3. Who did she go into business with? 4. Which style inspired Westwood, particularly early on? 5. Which type of fashion was Westwood against? VIPERS QUESTIONS V V: Which word means “change”? modify range vintage V V: Which word best describes something from the past? modify range vintage S S: How did Westwood support her views on fast fashion V V: Write a definition for the word “ethos”. all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com