By Emily Jade Ricalton
On February 17th, at St JohnÔÇÖs Smith Square, Westminster, British fashion designer and punk icon, Vivienne Westwood, showcased her joint womenÔÇÖs and menswear Autumn/Winter 2019 collection. The perfect location for a political protest. The heart of British politics. The show, according to critics, was as controversial as ever. The campaign targeted recent issues addressed in modern politics, experimenting with global warming, freedom of speech and even the unstable complexities of Brexit propaganda. It was obvious to see that Westwood herself had been inspired by a number of different politically-charged topics.
The catwalk saw a range of models, activists and actors take the runway, emphasising their negative attitudes towards the subject of capitalism. A long-running hatred of VivienneÔÇÖs herself. Vivienne Westwood was, and some would say still is, the epitome of punk fashion. She created an original, yet aggressive style that formed its own personal attack against the right-wing beliefs of a 1970s England. In other words, she promoted anarchy against the political movement of Thatcherism ÔÇô a term used to describe the 11-year-long ruling of the conservative leader, Margaret Thatcher. Westwood began designing in 1971, where her and her then partner, Malcolm McLaren, opened their shop ÔÇÿSEXÔÇÖ on Kings Road, London. At the time, McLaren was the former manager of the punk band, The Sex Pistols, allowing the team to dominate the UK punk scene with messages of defiance and social exclusion. As quoted in Time Magazine, Vivienne said that it was the shock-value of punk that inspired her designs and creations. She enjoyed ÔÇÿseeing if one could put a spoke in the systemÔÇÖ and change the dynamics of convention. Something that obviously still inspires the British designer still to this day.
Typical to her punk roots, Westwood sent the UK director of Greenpeace, environmentalist John Sauven, down the runway to address his thoughts on our world leaders and government policies. In a statement, he said ÔÇÿwe aim to save arctic from motherfuckers like Shell and PutinÔÇÖ, directly attacking the disbelief and destructive nature that these powerful sources and figures have for environmental issues like global warming.
WestwoodÔÇÖs passion and dedication for the protection of our environment was clearly evident throughout the collection. Sustainability and climate change were two of the big topics used to inspire the collection. One model said ÔÇÿfashion is all about styling, buy less, choose well, make it lastÔÇÖ, discriminating the modern trends of fast fashion and quick retailing that we so commonly love as consumers.
Common to her previous shows, Vivienne also made reference to Brexit with one model comparing the political disaster to a ÔÇÿcrimeÔÇÖ. Westwood has been known to have been a passionate anti-Brexit campaigner and socialist designer before. In her autumn/winter 2018 collection, she featured models waving around Union Jacks and EU flags upon the runway, emphasising her strong-willed beliefs against the matter.
It wasnÔÇÖt only Brexit that Westwood decided to politically address throughout her collection. As the runway show went on, she discussed the uneven wealth distribution of the world. Being from a working-class background, she sent many models down the runway accustomed in long prosthetic noses (similar to the character of Pinocchio). Actress, Rose McGowan, later on referred this attire to the statement ÔÇÿtax the poor and give to the rich, thatÔÇÖs the lie with the long nose, going on to say that ÔÇÿdemocracy isnÔÇÖt workingÔÇÖ and that ÔÇÿdemocracy will only thrive when we can achieve a favourable balance between the wealthy and the poorÔÇÖ. One item of clothing even claimed that ÔÇÿpoliticians are criminalsÔÇÖ, commenting upon the secrecy of our modern government. An almost perfect punk belief that caused the subculture to be so successful in its time.
These punk ideologies were also embedded throughout the abstract, crazy designs that were displayed during the campaign. Items of distress, ripped jeans, gaudy slogans and checked prints were all sent down the runway, giving a sense of 70s nostalgia that is and always will be symbolic of the Westwood line.
The Autumn/Winter 2019 collection demonstrated elements of equality, displaying models of all different races, sizes, shapes and genders. This was as well as featuring a collection of #MeToo activists, such as McGowan, who demanded ÔÇÿthat we need more heroesÔÇÖ, referring to the number of brave and inspiring women who have come forward to share their stories to the world. McGowan lead the movement back in October 2017, gaining frequent popularity since then.
As quoted by London Fashion Week Online: ÔÇÿVivienne Westwood is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world. At times thought-provoking, this brand is more than producing clothes and accessories. And so, theyÔÇÖre right. At the end of the runway show, Vivienne protested to the crowd that we must ÔÇÿsave the worldÔÇÖ. Being a Greenpeace advocate herself, she later stated that she aims to raise ┬ú100 million ($130 million US Dollars) to save the rainforest. After all, Westwood isnÔÇÖt just a fashion designer, sheÔÇÖs a political icon who has helped to shape the political minds of our nation for over 30 years.