Pioneering fashion designer Vivienne Westwood first made a name for herself in the ’70s London punk scene, before her designs became a staple on Hollywood red carpets.
The iconoclastic fashion maven, who died Thursday at age 81, popularized edgy glamour, becoming the go-to designer to such stars as Helena Bonham Carter, Christina Hendricks and Gwen Stefani. The Queen of Punk had a resurgence of sorts in the last few years as Gen Z celebs embraced her designs. Zendaya, Dua Lipa, Elle Fanning, Olivia Rodrigo and Daisy Ridley are just a few of the performers who have donned her draped, corseted, structural gowns at awards shows and other major events, including on the global stage at the Cannes Film Festival.
English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, whose work popularized British punk aesthetics, died Dec. 29, 2022, in a London suburb.
Helena Bonham Carter attends the premiere of “The Wings of the Dove†in London in 1997, wearing an off-shoulder corset-style blush pink Vivienne Westwood gown specially created for the occasion.
(Fiona Hanson / PA Images via Getty Images)
Emma Thompson, wearing a signature Vivienne Westwood“Lily†dress, and a pig companion storm the world premiere of “Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang†in London in 2010.
(Fred Duval / FilmMagic via Getty)
Advertisement
Thandiwe Newton dons a custom Vivienne Westwood Couture gown printed with photos of iconic Black “Star Wars†characters at the screening of “Solo: A Star Wars Story†during the 71st Cannes Film Festival in 2018.
(George Pimentel / WireImage via Getty)
Zendaya is a vision in a white off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood gown — later immortalized in Barbie form — at the 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood in 2015.
(Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
Gwen Stefani is the epitome of classic glamour in a pink Vivienne Westwood dress at the 2004 premiere of “The Aviator†at Grauman’s Chinese in Los Angeles.
(L. Cohen / WireImage via Getty)
Wearing a white duchess satin gown hand-painted by Vivienne Westwood herself, Elle Fanning attends the “Les Fantomes d’Ismael†(Ismael’s Ghosts) screening and opening gala at the 70th Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
(Dominique Charriau / WireImage / via Getty)
Diane Kruger sparkles in a draped Westwood creation at the “Amour†premiere during the 65th Cannes Film Festival in 2012.
(Dominique Charriau / WireImage via Getty)
Rihanna steals the show in a black custom Vivienne Westwood corset dress with a thigh-high slit at the 2012 Victoria’s Secret fashion show in New York.
(Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)
Advertisement
Kim Kardashian wears a black velvet Westwood gown (complete with a butt bustle) at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles in 2019.
(Fox Image Collection via Getty Images)
Donning a powder-blue Westwood design, Billie Piper attends the 2021 Fashion Awards in London.
(Karwai Tang / WireImage via Getty)
Not even Sith stormtroopers could upstage Daisy Ridley in a midnight blue Vivienne Westwood bodice dress at the “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker†European premiere in London in 2019.
(Dave J Hogan / Getty Images)
Dua Lipa levitates in this satin two-piece number at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2020.
(Amy Sussman / Getty Images)
Anne Hathaway shimmers in a brown Westwood gown at the world premiere of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland†in 2010 in London.
(Mike Marsland / WireImage via Getty)
Blake Lively has a Cinderella moment in her Vivienne Westwood ruffled gown at the “Ma Loute†(Slack Bay) premiere during the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016.
(Andreas Rentz / Getty Images)
Advertisement
Christina Hendricks sports a rose-colored silk Westwood number at the premiere of “I Don’t Know How She Does It†in New York City in 2011.
Maane Khatchatourian is a deputy editor for Entertainment and Arts. Before joining The Times in 2022, she spent almost 10 years at Variety as a news editor. Her writing has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, KCET.org and the Glendale News-Press. Born in Armenia and raised in Glendale, she studied communication, art history and sociocultural linguistics at UC Santa Barbara and journalism at Columbia University.
