Vivienne Westwood, influential punk fashion maverick, dies at 81

British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood waves to the audience after presenting her fashion collection at Milan Fashion Week in 2012. Westwood, an influential fashion maverick who played a key role in the punk movement, died Thursday at 81. (Luca Bruno/AP)

LONDON — Vivienne Westwood, an influential fashion maverick who played a key role in the punk movement, died Thursday at 81.

Westwood's eponymous fashion house announced her death on social media platforms, saying she died peacefully. A cause was not disclosed.