Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81. The legendary fashion designer passed away, her representatives have said in a statement. She died surrounded by her family in Clapham, South London, today (Thursday, December 29).
A post on her Twitter account read: "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."
Vivienne Isabel Swire was born on April 8, 1941 in the Derbyshire village of Tintwistle, the oldest of three children. She went to school in Glossop before later moving to north London with her family.
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The pioneering fashion designer made a name for herself on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan t-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.
The 81-year-old’s husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: “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.”
Dame Vivienne is largely accepted as being responsible for bringing punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream with her eccentric creations. Her designs were regularly worn by high-profile individuals including Dita Von Teese who wore a purple Westwood wedding gown to marry Marilyn Manson, and Princess Eugenie who wore three Westwood designs for various elements of the wedding of William and Kate Middleton.
In addition to her work as a designer, Dame Vivienne was vocal in her support of a number of social and political initiatives including campaigning for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting to avoid being sent to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan paid tribute to Dame Vivienne Westwood, writing on Twitter: “A sad day, Vivienne Westwood was and will remain a towering figure in British fashion. Her punk style rewrote the rule book in the 1970s and was widely admired for how she stayed true to her own values throughout her life.”
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) described Dame Vivienne Westwood as a “true revolutionary and rebellious force in fashion”.
A tweet said: “We are saddened to learn about the passing of legendary designer Vivienne Westwood. A true revolutionary and rebellious force in fashion.”
The global fashion icon was honoured more locally in a wall mural in Glossop back in August of this year, courtesy of local creative to the area, Deggy.
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