Vivienne Westwood has a special place in society, loved both for her fashion and her performance. Her clothes have become as instantly recognizable as her red hair, with her love of corsetry, crinolines and tartan all cementing her place in fashion history. Now, nearly four years after his death, Bowes County Durham Museum will hold the first retrospective of his work, Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Visionary – Storytellerfocusing mainly on his formative years working with his partner, Malcolm McLaren.
“There has not been a major retrospective of Westwood since his death in 2022, so we are privileged at The Bowes Museum to present his work on this scale,” explains curator Rachel Whitworth. “His work had many historical references, but it was always of its time and has represented a long period of his influence and popularity. I think that the increased interest in Westwood since his death makes this the right time to reflect back, to remind visitors of his extensive works and to introduce him to new generations.”
Westwood had a personal relationship with the museum, having previously opened a major lace exhibition there, Elegant & Fashionable: Lace from the Blackborne Collectionback in 2006, where he borrowed pieces from them. “This personal connection is echoed in the museum’s collection, which contains many objects, such as historical fashion, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, metalwork and woodwork, of the kind that inspired Westwood at the V&A and the Wallace Collection,” added Whitworth. “It was the parallels between his historical inspiration and the collections of The Bowes Museum that led private collector Peter Smithson to approach the museum.”
As for the subtitle of the show, Rebel – Storyteller – VisionWhitworth explains that they were chosen to reflect the continuity and circulation of Westwood’s work. “From the beginning, he and Malcolm McLaren rebelled against the ordinary and created ‘worlds’ in their shop at 430 King’s Road, London, in different ways, responding to themes and movements,” he says. “They encouraged customers to enter that ‘story’ or lifestyle through clothing. This ability to transcend time and trends and make his style and influence last through the decades is part of the vision of his story, as well as his support for environmental and political causes that have grown in popularity over time.”
Here, Whitworth selects his six most important pieces from the collection and explains why they are important to them.
The Crinoline
“Westwood is known for his inspiration from the history of fashion. The corset and the crinoline are perhaps the most obvious examples. Introduced in Mini-Crini (S/S 1986), the signature mini-crinis was inspired by crinolines, derived from crin (French for horsehair). Although it is considered one of his more unstable garments, it is used to ensure Westwood’s practicality, without Westwood’s history tackled the catwalk. Flexible plastic boning for shape so it’s light to wear and stays in shape.”
Corset
“There are several Westwood corsets in the exhibition, displayed as framed works of art and part of ensembles.” Westwood introduced her ‘Stature of Liberty’ corset for Harris Tweed (A/W 1987/88) and it quickly became a signature piece. the historical template for modern clothing was replaced by flexible plastic straps, the side panels were made of loose fabric, and the lining was replaced by a zip.
The crown
“Harris Tweed (A/W 1987/88) also saw the introduction of the Westwood crown. He used it to give his collection a royal feel, lovingly referring to Harris Tweed as his Royal collection. It has become one of Westwood’s most popular pieces, combining humor and tradition in the Soho street market.
Tartan
“Tartan has a long history in fashion.” Beginning as a woolen cloth worn for warmth and working in the Scottish highlands, its designs became colorful and varied as it was distinguished by individual families. 1993/94), worked with the weavers of Lochcarron in Scotland, playing with the idea of a family tartan and producing many tartans dedicated to family members.
Works of art
“Westwood was inspired by works of art in various forms, which is the main reason why his work is so beautiful in The Bowes Museum, a collection of fine and decorative arts. Aphrodite, in the Musee du Louvre, Paris After her marriage to Andreas Kronthaler in 1992, she and Westwood also considered the work of some of the great artists of history. They presented the paintings of Francois Boucher (1703-1770) and Peter Paul Rubens (1570-1640) ‘Gainsborough’ blouse, after Frans Hals (1582-1666) and Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788).
Sewing
“Besides the torn T-shirts of his punk days, Westwood is known for tailoring his clothes – mainly for women, but he was also made for men. From his Pirate collection (A/W 1981/82) onwards, he reworked traditional designs into new styles. This is very visible in his tailored coats. appeared in Grand Hotel (S/S 1993) It is a jacket that a solid short with a complex structure.
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Visionary – Storyteller is at the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle in County Durham from 28 March to 6 September 2026.
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