BeSPOKE 07

218
the big clash
Vivienne westwood
and Malcom Mclaren
By luca crescenzi
it is well known that there have been moments in
cultural history and the history of fashion in which,
for reasons that we might call synchronicity, luck or
simply destiny, great artists, avant-garde ingenuity
and enlightened thinkers have crossed paths in a
specific, well-defined space. think of Florence in the
second half of the fifteenth century or paris in the
twenties or capital cities like new york and london
in the last few decades of the twentieth century.
and, focusing on the english capital which has long
occupied centre stage in our popular culture from
1960s swinging london to the punk of the decade
that followed right up to the thatcher period with
the british music invasion which has conquered
the world. a multitude of fashions have come from
across the Channel beginning with Mary Quant and
biba via bodymap, pam hog and stephen jones in
the 1980s without missing out Vivienne westwood
obviously who was the forerunner for later generations
of talented english designers including john
galliano, antonio berardi and alexander McQueen.
and it is precisely on Vivienne and her legendary
partnership with Malcolm Mclaren that i want to
focus here. theirs was a totally creative collision
which was, in some ways, devastating. when they
met he had already dipped into and out of a number
of artistic schools and was attracted by situationism
(which promoted provocative action as
Upper leFt:
vivienne WestWooD,
red label.
Upper right:
vivienne WestWooD
portrait, both iMages
CoUrtesy oF Marta
laMovseK.
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