The designers of Vivienne Westwood’s label are always drawing inspiration from the vast archives left by its legendary founder. For spring, the team paid tribute to Shakespearean England, a time when gender boundaries were fluid and self-expression was celebrated—values deeply ingrained in the Westwood ethos. The lookbook was shot at Shakespeare’s Globe, the historic Elizabethan theater constructed in 1599, where William Shakespeare penned his famous plays. In true Westwood fashion, the collection featured compelling silhouettes, tactile fabrics, and unexpected idea mash-ups.
At the brand’s Conduit Street HQ, the collection was divided into distinct sections, each representing a different mood. To begin, there was a romantic and disheveled tribute to Westwood’s spring 1998 collection Tied to the Mast. Jacquard separates in an overdyed ecru shade embodied the opulence of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles, while maintaining a punk sensibility with frayed edges. Off-the-shoulder dresses and cropped cardigans were crafted from vibrant, multi-colored stretch knit fabrics, offering a youthful interpretation of modest shapes.
Distorting the confines of gender binaries, the brand transformed its Evolution of Man print into ultra-feminine silhouettes, featuring flowing shirt dresses and scalloped jackets. There were nods to Westwood’s ’80s heyday through oversized cotton poplin button-ups and structured outerwear with pronounced shoulders. The corsetry, a Westwood signature since her 1987 Harris Tweed collection, was ingeniously crafted from knit fabric, maintaining its three-dimensional shape without traditional boning.
Pablo Picasso’s zig-zag designs from the 1920 ballet Le Tricorne were blown-up and decorated ’90s-inspired silhouettes. Elsewhere, a range of vibrant-hued pants with integrated boxer shorts and chaps looked like real conversation starters. Overall, it’s evident that Westwood’s design team thoroughly enjoys delving into her remarkable archive.