The late, great Vivienne Westwood is remembered for many things: her ever-exciting shop on the King’s Road; consolidating punk fashion; flashing paps while receiving her OBE; and, in her later years, her relentless fight for climate and social justice.
But when it comes to the most recognisable garments in British designer’s repertoire, the corset is the item most central to her brand’s DNA. Corsets have been a Westwood staple since she first showed them in 1987, as she stepped away from the punks and pirates that had defined the earlier years, and began to play with parodies of the upper echelons. They are exemplary of the historical references that weaved through her collections. They are also the result of hours spent studying the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Corsets remain a jewel of the red carpet today.
Now Westwood fans can see a selection of her best corsets up close in a new exhibition ‘Vivienne Westwood Corsets – 1987 to Present Day’, which will run during London Craft Week, from Monday, May 8.
Taking over the Westwood flagship boutique on Conduit Street, expect to find important runway pieces dating from the first corset collection shown. There will also be the most recent iterations by creative director Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood’s former husband.
For shoppers, a new line of corset-inspired jewellery will be up for sale, with the best a gold-rendered ‘Portrait’ corset first shown during the AW87 Harris Tweed collection.
And for those wanting to explore London Craft Week a little deeper, other highlights in the May 8-14 programme include leather crafting demonstrations from Belgian accessories brand Delvaux; a bio-embellishment and embroidery workshop with sequins made from seaweed at The Mills Fabrica; and workshops on how to make Bok Jumeoni, traditional Korean silk lucky pouches at the V&A.
Vivienne Westwood Corsets Exhibition, May 8 - 21, 44 Conduit Street, W1, viviennewestwood.com
