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British Avant-Garde Fashion on Film:
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist
Directed by Lorna Tucker
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“As sharp-lined as one of Westwood’s showiest catwalk gowns.” —Guy Lodge, Variety
This intimate documentary allows viewers a glimpse into the life of one of the most influential and singular living British designers, Vivienne Westwood. After working as a school teacher in her early career, she began designing clothing in 1971 along with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in London. At the time, they used their Kings Road shop to showcase not only their bold and rebellious ideas but also to reflect the social and political changes to London itself. The décor of their store and its name transformed to match each new direction morphing from Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die (rocker style) to Sex (bondage) to Seditionaries (punk) to finally settling on the name World’s End, the moniker the store still holds today.
By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde. She then turned to traditional Saville Row tailoring techniques, using British fabrics and 17th and 18th century art for inspiration. At times thought provoking, her brand is about more than producing clothes and accessories. Westwood’s passion to raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues at times overshadows the business concerns. This documentary surveys Westwood’s forty-year career, recognizing her work creating an international brand and rising to serve as one of the most groundbreaking fashion designers and activists in the world today. 2018, U.K., DCP, 80 minutes. Recommended for 16+.