Vivienne Westwood has died. The British fashion designer, known for helping popularize punk fashion, was 81.
Westwood’s death was announced on her Twitter account on Thursday, December 29. The announcement reads: “Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London. The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better.”
The announcement included a quote from the designer that says, “Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you’re living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth.”
29th December 2022.
Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London.
The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better. pic.twitter.com/YQwVixYUrV
— Vivienne Westwood (@FollowWestwood) December 29, 2022
Westwood’s designs have been pop culture fixtures since the 1970s. She got her start owning a London boutique called SEX with Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren. Through that connection, the Sex Pistols began wearing her creations, which influenced England’s punk scene and eventually global fashion. Westwood was a character in FX on Hulu’s biopic series of the band, Pistol, played by Talulah Riley. Elsewhere on the big and small screen, Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding dress in the Sex and the City movie was a Westwood design.
Westwood is survived by her husband, Andreas Kronthaler, and two sons.
More to come on this developing story…
