Fashion icon's sharp sense of style

Exhibition explores Vivienne Westwood's artistic processes and legendary pieces, He Qi reports.

From her iconic orb logo to horn accessories inspired by the Greek mythological satyr and cherry brooches crafted from Coca-Cola cans, Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022), an iconic designer, ranks among the most influential fashion visionaries of the past half-century.

The Vivienne Westwood & Jewelry exhibition makes its Asian debut in Shanghai's Taikoo Li Qiantan. Running from July 29 to Aug 31, this showcase features over 400 pieces spanning four decades — archival treasures, runway sensations, and sartorial experiments — offering an unprecedented exploration into the British designer's revolutionary vision.

Andreas Kronthaler, Westwood's longtime partner and the creative director behind her eponymous brand, notes: "Jewelry is powerful; it can be loaded with meaning. It marks life and gives it importance."

Alanna Davidson, partnerships director at Nomad Exhibitions, the company collaborating with the Vivienne Westwood brand to create the exhibition, adds: "It's rare to have special archive and runway pieces displayed as a collection, showcasing over four decades of work across jewelry, clothing and accessories."

Born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Tintwistle, Glossop, England, in 1941, Westwood grew up in the English countryside outside Manchester. Her family moved to London in 1957, and she later studied silversmithing at Harrow School of Art, where she crafted her first jewelry pieces. She married in 1962, adopting the surname Westwood. They divorced in 1965.

Westwood's jewelry journey began in the 1970s, when she sold pieces from a stall at London's Portobello Road market. She later integrated costume jewelry as statement pieces in her catwalk collections, each carrying its own figurative metaphor. Launching her design career in 1971, she pioneered the punk aesthetic and emerged as a symbol of British avant-garde by the late 1970s.

In 1989, she met Kronthaler, who became her husband and long-term design partner. Together, they drew inspiration from historical dress, culture and fine art, forging the brand's distinct identity.