Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery: A Tribute to a Fashion Icon
Vivienne Westwood has long blurred the boundaries between fashion, art, and rebellion with her fearless design approach. A new book, Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, published by Thames & Hudson, honors her creative legacy through the unique perspective of jewellery for the first time.
Fashion critic Alexander Fury, in collaboration with the house of Vivienne Westwood, explores the designer’s distinctive jewellery style. He describes it as,
“Pearl chokers and droplet earrings borrowed from Elizabethan portraits. Bondage chains and sado-masochistic cuffs.”
Each item reflects the brand’s signature combination of luxury and subversion. For Westwood, jewellery was more than decoration; it was a means of expression. Her creations include hand-strung “broken” pearls, punk-inspired paperclip earrings, and the iconic orb emblem, which represents heritage, unity, and progress.
“Jewellery is powerful, and it can be loaded with meaning,”
explains Andreas Kronthaler, Creative Director at Vivienne Westwood.
“The Orb logo itself is a jewel, symbolising the world with its past, its present, and its future. It’s very British and very Vivienne.”
Book Structure
The book begins with an introduction by Fury and is divided into ten themed chapters, including:
- Pearls
- Do It Yourself
- Pagan
- Drops & Bows
Each chapter delves into different facets of Westwood’s jewellery designs, highlighting their cultural and symbolic significance.
Summary: Vivienne Westwood’s jewellery redefines accessories as bold statements blending heritage, rebellion, and identity, captured vividly in the new Thames & Hudson publication.