VIVIENNE WESTWOOD,
'WORLD WIDE WOMAN' COLLECTION,
AUTUMN-WINTER 2011⁄12

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World Wide Woman'Fashion is global, influence comes from everywhere in the world. You can wear anything in our part of the world. Anything goes. But don’t let the world get smaller: World Wide Woman cultivates her values for the sake of our planet and all who live on her. We hope she is growing more powerful and in numbers, in touch with the wonder of reality, controlling her man through the fire of her imagination and vision. Traditionally and in general, men have been the pioneers, women the civilizers; they have had vast responsibility in educating their children, they are the center of the home, bringing sweetness and delight, stability and refinement; they are the guardians of culture, most importantly in their creation of the salon (Napoleon agreed to ennoble his generals on condition that their wives opened a salon). It is women who forge the bonds of society. For the woman who is interested in fashion, she dresses to look important. This depends on taking care over what suits her; the braver she is, the easier and the more beautiful is the woman who makes the dress her own. I expect it is like riding a horse who is yours. Together you dream of open spaces and a world big enough for love and a way to feel free and noble and playful. Oh yes, walk on a glittering runway with boots made of gold paillettes which dazzle the eyes so you seem to walk on air.'Vivienne Westwood

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD, 'WORLD WIDE WOMAN' COLLECTION, AUTUMN-WINTER 2011 / 12

A FULL LENGTH NUDE 'ILLUSION' GOWN EMBELLISHED WITH GOLD SEQUINS

Details

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD,
'WORLD WIDE WOMAN' COLLECTION,
AUTUMN-WINTER 2011 / 12
A FULL LENGTH NUDE 'ILLUSION' GOWN EMBELLISHED WITH GOLD SEQUINS
Applied with silk cord, sequins, imitation watch parts and replica 'Empress Victoria' coins, Gold Label

Literature

V. Westwood, Get a Life: The Diaries of Vivienne Westwood, London, 2016, p. 28, identical model illustrated.
A. Fury, Vivienne Westwood Catwalk: The Complete Collections, London, 2021, p.527, identical model illustrated.

Further details

The Estate of Vivienne Westwood will donate 100% of the total hammer proceeds received for the sale of her personal wardrobe, less auction expenses, to be split equally between The Vivienne Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières (a charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 1026588) and Amnesty International (registered in England and Wales with charity number 1051681).

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Adrian Hume-Sayer Director, Specialist

Lot Essay

This ‘illusion’ gown, designed to give the illusion of a naked body, is elaborately decorated with silk cord, gold mirror sequins, imitation watch parts and replica 'Empress Victoria' coins which appear to float. The gown references old Hollywood with the illusion gown being a recognised staple of the Golden Age actress Marline Dietrich, but with, perhaps, the most famed historic iteration being the example worn by Marilyn Monroe when singing Happy Birthday (Mr President), at the 45th birthday party of John F. Kennedy, 19 May 1962.

Dame Vivienne tirelessly used her influence and the platform her position as a leading fashion designer and public figure gave her to address some of the gravest issues facing humanity today, establishing The Vivienne Foundation to partner with NGOs with similar aims: ‘to create a better society and halt climate change’. In 2011 the ITC (International Trade Centre) invited Westwood to travel to Kenya to see where some of the designs for her 'Ethical Fashion Africa' collection were being made via their Ethical Fashion Initiative which supports 2,600 local artisans. The photograph on the preceding pages, taken by Chloe Mukai, shows Westwood alongside model Elsie Njeri in Nairobi during that trip where they were being photographed by Juergen Teller for the Autumn-Winter 2011/12 'World Wide Women' collection campaign, an image from the shoot, showing Vivienne wearing lot 71 is illustrated within and on the cover of the catalogue.

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