My mother, Vivienne Westwood, was determined to make the world a better place. As an activist for most of her life, she was never afraid to speak out about the causes that mattered to her, even if it got her in trouble. At a time when the world seems more polarised, precarious and horrifically destructive than I can ever remember, I miss that voice in a very tangible way — we need that voice now more than ever.
I have been in retail for most of my life. I enjoy it, I love trading, but I’m only enthusiastic about selling things I like. London used to have some of the most interesting and vibrant retail shops in the world. So many different ideas and directions. It was relatively easy for creative people to find a studio or a shop and get to work on designing a new look or scene.
Once vibrant areas like Soho have become sanitised and homogenised. Enough is enough! Bring back the freaks
When I was younger, London was a global magnet for people looking for something extraordinary and attractive. Sadly, those days are gone. Exorbitant rents and business rates, e-commerce, fast fashion and Brexit have all taken their toll. Many independent creatives are also part of the exodus from London due to the ridiculous cost of living in the city.
Once vibrant areas like Soho have become sanitised and homogenised to the point where they resemble a shopping mall of zoned, soulless cubes of shite. Enough is enough! Bring back the freaks. Turn the empty department stores and buildings into vibrant markets, like the ones we used to have on Kensington High Street, where the punks, goths and ravers could find each other and get their start. Everyone from Pam Hogg to Leigh Bowery had a stall there before it was shut down in 2000 and replaced by a PC World. Without spaces like that, what chance do young people have?
This is why Vivienne’s legacy is so important today: she was a rebel until her last days and championed young people. Her push towards sustainability in fashion was the catalyst from the inside that the industry needed to create a positive change.
She had the gift of being able to understand and have a clear perspective on the issues that affect us all and condense them into a slogan or idea that had currency, vitality and intelligence. Outside of her King’s Road shop, Seditionaries, in the 1970s, there was a brass plaque engraved with the words “Clothes for heroes”.
Her slogans, like “What’s good for the planet is good for the economy”, and “Act fast, slow down” are more important than ever. Vivienne was a regular at climate protests, and her T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I am not a terrorist, please don’t arrest me” feels even more prescient today. With that same spirited and rebellious vision, I have created a new retail emporium, Light House in Soho’s Berwick Street. Vivienne was very excited about this venture and wanted to launch her new collections here. Light House is a hub for discourse on artistic, intellectual and cultural ideas. It’s also a place dedicated to artisans, designers and artists where they can dress up, show and sell, whether it’s off the rack or made-to-order.
London needs to get its mojo back and it won’t happen with a new generation of corporate bankers or puffer jacket wearing zombies. We’ve got to participate and make it happen.
I work closely with my daughter, Cora, on The Vivienne Foundation — a not-for-profit company that Vivienne founded in the years before her death to produce and sell her designs, with all the profits going towards the causes and organisations she cared so much about.
As part of London Fashion Week I’m also launching An Active Life, a month-long exhibition at Light House. It features rare and unseen photographic prints of Vivienne in action, shot by Ki Price, who formed a special bond with her on many campaigns over the years. There will also be a sale of museum-grade archive outfits and selected Westwood garments owned by the renowned collector Steven Philip.
December 29 marked three years since Vivienne died. Each year that passes gives me a pause for reflection on her life and achievements, as well as all the plans she had in progress, the things she was passionate about saying and doing, and the to-do lists she left behind for us. I’m dedicated to continuing her legacy and ideas; bringing them to life and amplifying them in ways that bring light to the darkness of our times.
Joe Corré is an activist and co-founder of Agent Provocateur. Light House is at 48 Berwick Street, W1; lighthousesoho.com
