by Fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81.
She made a name for herself on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan tees and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.
Dame Vivienne died on Friday “peacefully and surrounded by her family in Clapham, south London,” her representatives said.
In a statement, her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: “I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.
Dame Vivienne Westwood
“We worked our way through to the end and she gave me a lot of stuff to move forward with. Thanks, honey.”
She was known as a staunch activist and walked the catwalk for causes she cared about, such as climate change.
The designer was named a Dame for Fashion Services in 2006.
Television presenter Jonathan Ross was among those who paid tribute to Dame Vivienne Westwood following her death at the age of 81.
She tweeted: “RIP the great Vivienne Westwood. One of a kind. Brilliant. Without compromises. Thank you Vivx”.
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan paid tribute to Dame Vivienne Westwood, writing on Twitter: “A sad day, Vivienne Westwood was and will remain a towering figure in British fashion.
“Her punk style rewrote the rules in the 1970s and she was widely admired for staying true to her values throughout her life.”
Dame Vivienne, born in Cheshire in 1941, is widely credited with bringing punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream with her eccentric creations.
His designs were regularly worn by high-profile individuals including Dita Von Teese who wore a purple Westwood wedding dress to marry Marilyn Manson and Princess Eugenie who wore three Westwood designs for various elements of William and Kate Middleton’s wedding.
Dame Vivienne’s designs are also featured in the 2008 film adaptation of Sex And The City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw.
In addition to her work as a designer, Dame Vivienne has expressed her support for a number of social and political initiatives, including campaigning for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting to avoid being sent to the US to deal with charges under the Espionage Act.
In July 2020, Dame Vivienne sounded a warning about an Assange “stitching” while dressed in canary yellow in a giant birdcage.
Dame Vivienne led a colorful band of protesters chanting ‘free Julian Assange’ outside the Old Bailey in central London.
Suspended inside the cage, she said: “Don’t extradite Assange, it’s a mend.”
