NCS
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Few fashion designers are synonymous with weddings like Vivienne Westwood, whose revolutionary approach — in fashion in addition to in life — was fired by her disdain for corruption and injustice, incomes her nicknames such because the “high priestess of punk.”
It’s an ethos which will appear at odds with the conspicuous consumption that the bridal trade is related to. But Westwood, who died in 2022, was additionally one of many UK’s most revered style icons, and the designs by the British home she based in 1971 have lengthy appeared on many a bridal Pinterest board.
Through the adept use of draping, corsetry and different particulars that remodel the wearer, Vivienne Westwood’s designs are flattering on the determine. What units it other than different labels is its signature punk and subversive aesthetics, consequently interesting to brides who crave one thing completely different and distinctive and need to specific their individuality.
Singer Miley Cyrus, burlesque dancer and mannequin Dita von Teese and chef and former mannequin Lorraine Pascale are among the many celebrities who’ve worn a Westwood robe for his or her wedding ceremony day. Even WikiLeaks founder and activist Julian Assange and his spouse have been outfitted by the designer for his or her wedding ceremony, which occurred in the high-security Belmarsh jail in London. (Westwood herself was a longtime supporter of Assange and known as for his launch from custody.)
“People are drawn to Vivienne Westwood because she stands for something,” the model’s inventive director Andreas Kronthaler, and likewise the late designer’s husband, wrote to NCS in an e-mail. “She stands for women, and for strength, power and courage.” He added: “The Vivienne Westwood bride is a heroine.”
Yet, whereas a number of brides carrying Vivienne Westwood have been featured in magazines, together with Vogue and Elle, maybe probably the most memorable instance is Carrie Bradshaw (performed by Sarah Jessica Parker), who wore a voluminous robe by the label when she was left stilted on the altar in the 2008 “Sex and the City” film — resulting in a dramatic scene in the middle of Manhattan, the place she chides her fiancé, Mr. Big, for the humiliation.
One may think that to be the final of Bradshaw’s well-known gown — however in an sudden transfer, it was revived in the second season of collection’ reboot “And Just Like That,” when she sought a last-minute look to put on to what it known as the “Met Ball.” She gave the gown an replace by accessorizing her look with an identical teal cape, gloves and heels. (The tv collection and sequel aired on HBO, which shares the identical guardian firm as NCS: Warner Bros. Discovery.)
Hoping to capitalize on its renown, Vivienne Westwood staged its first bridal fashion show as a part of Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week on Thursday.
Staged on the University of Barcelona and attended by native celebrities together with Spanish singer Bad Gyal and Spanish actor Georgina Amorós, 35 new seems — together with made-to-order and couture designs — have been offered. In true Westwood fashion, these have been no peculiar wedding ceremony robes. Several seems veered away from custom and weren’t a typical bridal white. There have been additionally shirts, blazers and trousers.
“The collection is a potpourri of past, present and future,” Kronthaler defined. “It’s what we are about. It’s the spirit of the house.”
The first time {that a} wedding ceremony gown by Vivienne Westwood appeared on the runway was throughout her Spring-Summer 1992 show, although her historical past with bridalwear dates again to 1962, when she designed her personal wedding ceremony gown for her first marriage to Derek Westwood. (They separated in 1965.)
Westwood met Kronthaler in 1988, when she was instructing fashion design on the Vienna School of Applied Art, and when the 2 wed in 1993, she additionally designed their wedding ceremony seems: an identical gentle gray wool fits with butter-yellow cotton polos.
Kronthaler declined to touch upon the present measurement of Vivienne Westwood’s bridal enterprise however mentioned that it was “an important part of the house” as “something Vivienne and I have done since the early 90s.” He continued: “It’s grown over the years, and we’ve cultivated a desire for it, because we offer something particular and special.”
Originally accessible as a bespoke service for personal purchasers, Vivienne Westwood’s bridal providing has expanded since 2019 to incorporate made-to-order collections which might be offered in its 5 bridal salons in London, Paris, Milan, New York and Los Angeles. Its ready-to-wear bridal designs are additionally stocked by retailers globally: On Mytheresa, a mini gown constructed from crêpe satin prices $4,790, whereas a full-length robe is priced at $14,350.
Today, Vivienne Westwood competes with a wider spectrum of manufacturers, from rising designers to established labels, which wish to cater to Gen Z and Millennial brides looking for a less traditional take on wedding attire. This 12 months, Badgley Mischka and The Atelier by Jimmy Choo have been among the many high-profile names at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, which was the biggest version in its historical past, and drew round 450 manufacturers and consumers from over 80 nations.
Asked whether or not Vivienne Westwood plans to stage a bridal fashion show yearly, Kronthaler sidesteps the query however mentioned the model would look to stage a runway in different cities. “We would absolutely love to do a bridal show in New York. I love the city, and I hope we can make it happen very soon.”
For Kronthaler, his spouse’s spirit lives on by way of the label’s non-conformist strategy to bridalwear. He noticed that a number of ensembles and multi-use seems are gaining recognition, as brides go for numerous outfits that may be worn all through their wedding ceremony day — and past. “Perhaps before (people) concentrated on one dress,” he mentioned. “Today, brides love changing into different looks, to metamorphosize into different characters.”
Kronthaler continued: “It remains a wonderful thing to spend your life with someone — and I think you establish and celebrate this through what you wear on that special day.”