VIVIENNE Westwood could be summarised – if the British fashion house could be at all summarised in a sentence – with her own words, “I’m the proof – you can’t throw away tradition.” This belief in reinventing tradition for the contemporary man and woman was at the forefront of her SS20 collection at PFW. Known for her ability to rework fashion’s history, including its most forgotten and neglected pieces, Westwood draws inspiration from a pool of sources, including everything from Victorian-era cowl-necks to 1920s shift-dresses.
Celebrating fashion at its most experimental, the playfully conceptual collection proves to be more avant-garde than her SS19 collection, which showcased a range of much more wearable pieces. However, this isn’t necessarily a negative. Westwood is at her best when she’s at her most imaginative, blending together somewhat more consumer-friendly wearable designs with wonderfully over-the-top full-length-cloaks and headpieces, of which include a sequinned fish and a rose bush – pleasing both the buyer and the Westwood-hungry fans who expect her punk surrealist design.
The most stunning look was worn by Bella Hadid, who closed the show for this collection – a ruched chiffon wedding dress, complete with matching umbrella. In true Westwood style, she remakes the Victorian bride for modern women.
A huge collection even by Westwood’s standards, it could be said that some of the provocative and rebellious spirit of the collection is diluted by the number of different looks and themes. It could just be that Westwood didn’t know what direction to go in for the collection. However, despite this, sustainability does stand out as one of the major concepts for the collection – even featuring a mesh dress made from rags.
Although Westwood has outdone herself on the level of technicality and creativity we have come to expect from her -– it seems there is such a thing as too much.
by Emma Hart