How Vivienne Westwood Fashion Designer Rose from Punk to Mainstream and Dame

This is Vivienne Westwood's journey from controversy to acceptance by the establishment has been a long one for English fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. She is one of the most individual designers around, having made a huge impact at the very start of her career.

She had been working as a teacher when she met Malcolm McLaren, who would later be famous as the manager of punk band, the Sex Pistols. They opened a clothes shop together on the trendy King's Road in London and made history.

The shop, with the grand title of Sex, Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die, Seditionaries, sold Westwood's designs and sparked a new fashion movement that tied in with punk music. The range included clothes inspired by fetish and bondage enthusiasts, including garters, corsets, fishnet stockings and stiletto-heeled boots.

The store was awash with rubber, leather, spandex, latex and PVC. There were safety pins and razorblades incorporated into the designs. Spiked dog collars were sold as necklaces and a curious mix of tartan was also used. Most customers had never seen anything like it.

The shock value of the clothes was brought to mass attention when the Sex Pistols wore Vivienne Westwood merchandise at their debut gig. The band hit the big time and their fans copied the clothes, make up, hair and jewellery.

The designer was a notorious star but she went on to expand her repertoire and establish an enduring career. The shop on the King's Road is still open and now called World's End. Westwood retails her Anglomania label from there.

The designer proved over the years that she wasn't just an eccentric who had tapped into a fad but an extremely talented artist. Her first runway show took place in 1981 and was very successful.

The collection was based on a pirates theme with inspiration from 17th and 18th century fashion. Many of her collections in fact, are influenced by historical periods. She is also a fan of ethnic design and she has popularized the wearing of knitwear. The prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London honored her with a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition in 2004.

The designer was paid tribute to by her Queen and country in the Honors List of 2006 when she was made a Dame for her services to fashion. Vivienne Westwood has come a long way from selling PVC dresses held together by safety pins to punk fans in the 1970s.