Vivienne Westwood, the British designer whose punk and new-wave-inspired garments made her a fashion icon, died on Thursday. She was 81 years old.
The eponymous fashion house of Vivienne Westwood announced her death on social media platforms, saying she died peacefully surrounded by family. The cause of death was not revealed.
“The world needs people like Vivienne to make a positive difference,” the fashion house said on Twitter.
Westwood’s representative has been contacted for comment by USA
Today
Westwood’s fashion career began during the punk explosion of the 1970s, when her radical approach to urban street style took the world by storm. She went on to have a successful career that included triumphant runway shows in London, Paris, Milan, and New York.
Even as her focus shifted from year to year, the name Westwood became synonymous with style and attitude. Her abilities were diverse, and her work was never predictable.
Westwood, who was born on April 8, 1941 in Glossop, England, was a schoolteacher before marrying Derek Westwood in 1962. In 1965, the couple divorced.
In 1965, Westwood formed a professional partnership with Malcom McLaren, who rose to prominence as the manager of punk rock band the Sex Pistols. Let It Rock, a secondhand shop that sold 1950s vintage clothing and rock records from McLaren’s collection, was their first stop, and they later opened the boutique Seditionaries.
