Exhibition entry foyer
Let it Rock 1971 and SEX Boutique 1974-76
Blue Sky collection 2004; Bag dress 2004, printed viscose, canvas and leather ‘Pirate’ boots; Granddad body suit 2004, cotton knit; Dress and bikini 2004, cotton; Rubbish print bondage outfit 2004, printed silk dress, printed cotton trousers, printed canvas & leather shoes with cotton lacing, printed canvas bag with leather trim; Rubbish skirt and jacket 2004, synthetic
Exhibition entry foyer
34 years in fashion
Organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
12 November 2004 – 30 January 2005, National Gallery of Australia
Vivienne Westwood is one of Britain’s best known and most admired fashion designers. In 2004, when the exhibition was held, she had made a major contribution to international fashion for over three decades and was awarded British Designer of the Year in 1990 and 1991. In 1992 she was honoured with the Order of the British Empire for her outstanding contribution to fashion.
This exhibition presented a highly accessible, visual exploration of fashion from the 1970s until 2004 through one designer’s vision. It reflected the dynamism of Westwood’s contribution to fashion, from the early punk years to the historicism of her work in the early 2000's.
Wedding Ensemble, Anglomania, Autumn/Winter 1993, NGA Collection
Key exhibits included examples of punk clothing worn by members of the group Sex Pistols in the 1970s; examples from the revolutionary ‘mini-crini’ and ‘Pirate’ collections of the 1980s; the infamous shoes in which Naomi Campbell toppled over on the catwalk in 1993; a sumptuous ballgown worn by Linda Evangelista; and major pieces worn by Sarah Jessica Parker as style icon Carrie in the television series Sex and the City, garments worn by the artist Tracey Emin and a dress worn by Cameron Diaz at the 59th annual Golden Globe awards in January 2002.