Vivienne Westwood

Punk fashion revolutionary turned environmental activist

Dame Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022) transformed global fashion through her punk aesthetic before becoming a radical climate campaigner. Her 1970s collaborations with Malcolm McLaren at 430 Kings Road created iconic punk looks featuring safety pins, tartan bondage trousers, and anarchic graphics.

Key paradigm shifts include:

• Introducing anti-fashion as high art through her Pirate (1981) and Savage (1982) collections
• Popularizing the crinoline revival in 1985's Mini-Crini line
• Pioneering ethical fashion through recycled materials and anti-consumerist messaging

Post-2000, Westwood devoted 70% of her time to environmental causes, creating the Climate Revolution campaign and using fashion shows as protest platforms. Her activist strategies fused avant-garde art with direct action, including driving a tank to David Cameron's house protesting fracking.