Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery
For All Seasons speaks with historian and curator Claire Regnault as the world-first exhibition 'Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery' sets out from Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, New Zealand.
One of the most influential fashion designers and activists of the past two centuries – Dame Vivienne Westwood – has had a hand in how we all dress.
There’s the introduction of street-wear to high fashion, collaborations with contemporary artists, underwear worn as outerwear (even before Jean Paul Gaultier), trainers on the catwalk, an obsession with the ‘office siren’ and – more recently – the trend for puffball skirts in summer and Harris Tweed in the winter.
“Her creations have affected not just the clothes on our back, but culture as a whole,” states a seminal text, Vivienne Westwood Catwalk.
From a working-class background in the north of England, Vivienne Westwood had an intense curiosity since childhood. At the age of 17, she enrolled in a fashion design course at Harrow Art School and quickly transferred to silversmithing (although she didn’t stick to it for long). She also studied to be a teacher (which, many would argue, she was throughout her long fashion career).
On moving to London in the 1970s, she set up a market stall on Portobello Road with her then-partner Malcolm McLaren, before opening the iconic King’s Road store (once called SEX) when dressing the Sex Pistols and the wider punk movement. Her ahead-of-their-time designs were – ironically, and provocatively – inspired by the past, and often by her favourite museum exhibitions.
Without formal training, Vivienne Westwood continuously fought against convention and developed her own techniques. She became (as fashion journalist John Fairchild puts it) the ‘designer's designer.’ “She is copied by the avant-garde French and Italian designers because she is the Alice in Wonderland of fashion and her clothes are wonderfully mad,” he wrote.
Vivienne Westwood jewellery, in particular, were striking designs that flirted with the expectations of adornment – say, ornate settings with space ‘left’ for precious stones, or tiaras made all the more intriguing for their use of temporary materials.
The designer was also a tireless campaigner against climate change and over-consumption. ‘Buy well, choose less, make it last’ were, in her opinion, the best words she ever wrote – as they have become an actually meaningful mantra for the fashion industry.
In the late 80s, Vivienne Westwood was a visiting professor at the Vienna Academy of Applied Arts where she met her future husband and collaborator Andreas Kronthaler. – He had also trained as a fine jeweller and continues at the company as creative director.
Developed by Vivienne Westwood Ltd with award-winning design and production company Nomad, Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery is a visionary exhibition befitting a visionary designer. With over 550 pieces of jewellery and over 15 ensembles spanning four decades, it is a whirlwind tour of the late designer’s many inspirations and creations. It’s the very first time these archive and runway pieces have been styled together as a collection. As Vivienne Westwood said of her work: “The phrase that is always in mind is ‘never before seen’.”
Here, Claire Regnault, senior curator of New Zealand Culture and History at Te Papa, shares why the world-premiere exhibition is such a gem.
What is your personal connection to Vivienne Westwood?
My first tangible memory of Vivienne Westwood was seeing her on the Dame Edna Everage TV show in 1989! She came out of the lift onto the stage looking very prim and proper in a red sweater, carrying one of her branded shopping bags. She then opened her arms to reveal her flesh coloured tights with the strategically placed fig leaf shaped mirror. Dame Edna then slapped on one of ‘Madge’s Badges’ on her. Now when I look at her back catalogue, I realise that the clothes I loved and craved as a teenager in the 1980s all start with her – with the ‘Pirate’ collection and the ‘Nostalgia of Mud’. They remain firm favourites.
As someone who trained as an art historian, I am drawn to her engagement with art and history. She was a very dedicated gallery and museum goer, who appreciated the value of collections as great learning resources, and championed free access, so she was an ally.
What are your favourite aspects – and pieces – of the collection?
There is so much to love about this exhibition – it really is a feast for the eyes and had me darting from case to case during the installation. Overall, what I love about the work is the combination of playfulness and often naughtiness, with a myriad of cultural references, from ancient history to 18th-century art to pop and club culture, so the work is not only visually rich but full of ideas and connections.
From a materials and making perspective, the exhibition bursts with creative energy and inventiveness. While some pieces have been painstakingly set with thousands of crystals, others are made from broken bottles and cans, crocheted into existence or fashioned from corrugated cardboard. Material-wise there is everything from paper to brass to delicate snail shells and straw. The latter is an example of the company’s interest in heritage crafts.
The exhibition also includes pieces personal to Vivienne Westwood, such as her teak skeleton earrings.
‘The exhibition is a knockout and a real testimony to the collaborative talent of the Westwood team.’
And what about some of the garments that go alongside the jewellery pieces?
I have always loved Nicholas Hilliard’s exquisite miniatures – A Young Man Among Roses – is a favourite, so I am looking forward to seeing the gown that is based on his 1598-1599 portrait of Elizabeth I, in which she wears a gown embroidered with animals and plants from the land and sea. The dress first appeared in Vivienne Westwood’s ‘Five Centuries Ago’ collection from Autumn/Winter 1997, and a more recent version was worn by Sophie Okonedo for a performance of a monologue from Shakespeare.
The exhibition also features Gian Paolo Barbieri’s sensational portrait of Vivienne Westwood wearing the original gown in 1997.
Another favourite would be an ensemble by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood A/W 22/23 collection. It features the Karla apron dress and a flowing headpiece of oxidised brass reminiscent of a Gustav Klimt painting. Vivienne Westwood modelled the outfit in the season’s advertising campaign, which was photographed by Juergen Teller.
All of the garments in the first room of the exhibition were worn by Vivienne Westwood.
What pieces would you personally love to wear?
If I could pluck any pieces off their mounts to wear, I would probably go for some of the quieter pieces – I love the Anglophilia tiaras (A/W 02/03), which feature bird silhouettes and are just the right amount of fairytale creepy; the skeletal Gainsborough series – all settings but no stones, or Punchinello (S/S19) which is like a drawing in the air.
For a special occasion, I’d go for the Marlene parure in all its golden glory (AW 11/12), and of there is the VW classic – the horn tiara (A/W 04/05).
A lot of the jewellery is costume pieces, which are not historically prioritised by museums. Why is it important to focus on these?
The work in Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery is unashamedly costume jewellery at its very best! The exhibition predominantly comprises one-offs made for the catwalk, along with some limited-edition pieces.
We are really lucky to have jewellery writer and editor Annabel Davidson presenting an illustrated talk Fantasy, Not Fake – on why costume jewellery is the dreamworld of accessories. As she notes, costume jewellery has become a ‘byword for cheap baubles’, but at its best its nothing of the sort. When you think about designers such as Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Yves Saint Laurant and here Westwood, costume jewellery plays such an iconic part in their styling – jewellery completes the look.
In regards to the Westwood story, Vivienne and her partner in life, creativity and business, Andreas Kronthaler, both started out as jewellers. Jewellery is very much part of the company’s DNA. The pieces in Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery were primarily made for their catwalk shows, so are an integral part of how the company presented their collections to the world. Adding theatricality, the pieces convey and often crystalise the themes and/or attitude of each show.
On a more pragmatic note, these big dramatic catwalk pieces often provide the inspiration for the company’s more commercial ranges. Jewellery, as with other accessories – bags, belts - provides an entry point for many buyers into a brand, and the revenue made through accessories and perfumes underwrites the more avant-garde and experimental parts of the fashion business. As such, accessories are a very important part of the fashion ecosystem.
How does jewellery help us understand the worlds of fashion and design, in your opinion?
Due to its scale, jewellery often presents a designer’s ideas in a very condensed and highly readable form. Vivienne Westwood was, and the company continues to be, particularly good at using jewellery to amplify their storytelling.
‘For its scale, jewellery can carry an awful lot and pack quite a punch.’
Do any of the works remind you of New Zealanders’ unique approach to design and style?
I think the exhibition will strike a real chord in Aotearoa due to our love of contemporary jewellery. We have such a strong, independent jewellery scene in Aotearoa and, while the making context is very different, I can see lots of connections, especially in Vivienne Westwood’s rejection of precious materials and love of natural and found materials.
I think our jewellers – and in fact any maker - will get a lot out of the exhibition.
In turn, the team that visited from the Vivienne Westwood jewellery department were really engaged with the work being produced here, historically and in the now. Despite their busy schedule they managed to spend some time back of house with the collection, and browsing through our digital art wall, which currently has a jewellery theme.
Vivienne was known for her strong support of causes close to her. Is Te Papa working with any charities through this exhibition?
No, but we have based a number of events around her passions – namely the importance of art galleries and museums, of reading, of being engaged with the world, of having a voice.
Her concerns with climate change, and desire to become a sustainable business, align with Te Papa’s own strategic priority Papatūānuku: Holistic sustainability, and forms the basis of a panel discussion on fashion, activism and the environment.
Which events are you most looking forward to?
All of them. I am really looking forward to Annabel Davidson’s illustrated talk Fantasy, Not Fake, along with art historian David Maskill’s Vivienne Westwood – Art Lover – a deep dive into Westwood’s love of the Wallace Collection in London and the influence of 18th century French art on her work. I am also excited to be working with Claire Mabey from Verb Wellington on two literary events inspired by Westwood’s passion for reading – one based on her love of Alice in Wonderland and her reminder that things are not always as they seem, and another on her assertion that ‘the best fashion accessory is a book’. We’ve also got a panel discussion coming up on fashion and activism, followed by a big clothes swap event complete with mending workshops.
Finally, I am looking forward to Mary Curtis’ jewellery workshops Go Big or Go Home, which are inspired by Westwood’s love of ‘do it yourself’, and aim to explode the myth that jewellery should be small and delicate. Curtis is an exhibiting jeweller and art educator, with a focus on sustainability and zero waste.
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, showing at Te Papa Tongarewa from January 17 to April 27.
The exhibition is set to open in Shanghai for summer 2025, then move across Asia and Europe.
Shop For All Seasons – Vivienne Westwood Edition
Spring –
Clutch onto this Mini Bas Relief pearl choker spotted on Trade Me – it pays homage to the original design debuted in the Harris Tweed Fall 1987 fashion show.
Summer –
From the ‘Anglomania’ line, this Amaryllis dress (also found on Trade Me) combines Vivienne Westwood signatures, including a fitted bodice, full skirt and feminine twists.
Autumn –
The much-watched Instagram vintage store Open24Hrs is selling a ‘Daphnis and Chloe’ Boucher Print corset from A/W 1990-91. Given that a similar corset from 1993 is listed on 1st Dibs for over £10,000, this is a fantasy shopping pick.
Winter –
The asymmetric heart is a signature style of the house, which shows love for both humanity and the planet. The Petra earrings are adorned with yellow-coloured crystals and a gold-tone orb motif, which symbolises the label’s vision of launching tradition into the future, too.
Want More?
Vivienne Westwood’s London
If you’re reading from London, you have a chance to see Vivienne Westwood’s inspirations in situ. There’s François Boucher’s 1758 portrait of Madame de Pompadour at the Victoria & Albert Museum (Room 3), which inspired an ‘Anglophilia’ evening gown, and at her beloved Wallace Collection there is another portrait of Pompadour that inspired a ‘Vive la Cocette’ gown as well as Boucher’s painting of ‘Daphnis and Chloe’, which has been incorporated into corsetry and other designs. Finish your fashion scavenger hunt at Vivienne Westwood’s original store on 430 King’s Road, whether you go for window shopping or not.
Watch The Documentary
The 2018 Westwood documentary explores Vivienne Westwood’s artistry and activism through interviews with herself and her inner circle. Like her work, it’s a tour de force.
Delve Into The Archives
‘The Vivienne Westwood Archives’ chronicles the designer’s best looks and moments over on Instagram – from the time Kate Moss sucked a magnum while wearing nothing but a globe necklace and mini skirt for the ‘Cafe Society’ collection, to Naomi Campbell’s infamous fall on the ‘Anglomania’ runway. *We have borrowed their imagery for all but the first image in this newsletter.