1. The Reimagined Corset
No single garment is more synonymous with Westwood than the corset. She took a historical symbol of female constriction and turned it into an emblem of empowerment and erotic power. First appearing in a modern
form in her 1987 'Harris Tweed' collection, her corsets were updated with side elastic panels and zippers, making them wearable as outerwear. The 'Portrait' collection corsets from 1990, famously printed with an 18th-century Boucher painting, are particularly prized. Hunting for a vintage Westwood corset is a hunt for her most important contribution to late 20th-century fashion.
2. The 'Seditionaries' Punk Gear
Before she was a dame of the British Empire, Westwood was the architect of punk's visual anarchy. At her King's Road shops—variously named SEX and Seditionaries—she and Malcolm McLaren created clothing that defined a movement. These are not just clothes; they are artifacts. T-shirts with provocative prints, like the 'God Save the Queen' image of the monarch with a safety pin through her lips, are museum-quality items. Equally sought after are the bondage trousers, with their straps and zippers designed to mimic straitjackets, embodying the anti-establishment ethos of the era. Finding an original is finding the raw, unfiltered source of Westwood's rebellion.
3. Pieces from the 'Pirate' Collection
Westwood and McLaren's first official catwalk show in 1981, 'Pirate', marked a pivotal shift from punk to a more romantic, historical-inspired aesthetic. This collection was a treasure chest of billowing silhouettes, asymmetric cuts, and swashbuckling flair that became the uniform for the New Romantic movement. Key pieces to hunt for include the iconic Pirate Boots, a soft, slouchy design with heavy buckles that remains a cult favorite today. Also notable are the voluminous ruffled shirts and baggy trousers that challenged the tight-fitting trends of the time, offering a new, androgynous freedom.
4. The 'Mini-Crini' Skirt
In 1985, Westwood countered the broad-shouldered power suits of the decade with a playful, bell-shaped skirt she called the 'Mini-Crini'. It was a subversive mash-up of the Victorian crinoline and a modern mini skirt, designed to make hips the focus. The design combined a traditional hooped structure with a much shorter length, creating a dramatic and flirtatious silhouette. Pieces from the original Spring/Summer 1985 collection are the ultimate find, but reissues from her Anglomania line are also highly collectible. It's a piece that perfectly captures Westwood's ability to mine history for entirely modern ideas.
5. Rocking Horse Shoes
Westwood's footwear is just as radical as her clothing, and no shoe is more iconic than the Rocking Horse. First seen in 1985, these shoes feature a chunky wooden platform with a curved front, designed to allow the wearer to rock forward as they walk. They were created to give the wearer an elevated poise and sense of movement. Often finished with ballerina-style leather ribbons, they are a masterful blend of clunky and delicate, childish and sophisticated. Whether in boot or ballerina form, finding an early pair is a holy grail for collectors who appreciate fashion that literally changes the way you move through the world.
6. Harris Tweed Tailoring
Vivienne Westwood had a deep appreciation for traditional British fabrics, and her Autumn/Winter 1987 'Harris Tweed' collection was a love letter to the handwoven Scottish cloth. At a time when the fabric was seen as fusty, she made it high fashion, blending classic tailoring with her unorthodox cuts. The collection played with stereotypes of Britishness, featuring tailored jackets and skirts that were both regal and rebellious. This is the same collection where her famed corsets made their debut, but any tailored piece from this era showcases her ability to make tradition feel revolutionary. A vintage Harris Tweed jacket or skirt is a testament to her technical skill and her role in reviving a heritage industry.
