Catwalk style on show
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD clothes, shoes, handbags and famous corsets are waiting to be admired at The Atkinson, on Lord Street, in Southport.
The items are all part of its free Westwood exhibition, on until March 28 next yeaer, and are some of British graphic designer Malcolm Garret’s collection which he donated to
Manchester Metropolitan University.
Malcolm is known for his iconic work with famous artists such as Simple Minds, Duran Duran, The Buzzcocks and Peter Gabriel.
He said: “I have loved and owned Vivienne’s clothes for years. My first purchase was the Bondage Jacket, in 1978. Her clothes represent the times they were made.
“Due to the nature of the lives the people wearing these clothes led during the 1970s and ’80s, many of the iconic pieces have been lost or destroyed, which makes the collection all the more remarkable.”
Set out on a lit runway, the clothes tell a story of Britain in recent times. Two years in the planning, the exhibition was brought about by a chance encounter with the collection by the exhibition curator Jo Chamberlain.
She said: “I saw a rail full of clothes on a visit to Manchester University and asked what they were about.” A tour of the collection then led Jo to the planning of this story of Westwood.
She said: “I became fascinated by Vivienne, what she now stands for and what she represents. On a research visit to the Westwood shop, in Liverpool, I struck up a friendship with Chris, the manager. He is a lifelong devotee of Westwood and has amassed an amazing collection of his own.
“He has shared his personal scrap books of Vivienne’s life which we have digitised and put on display. I now understood the passion and loyalty people feel towards Westwood and felt this was a story people would connect with.”
The exhibition includes her famous Squiggle wallpaper, slogans and her artistic influences. As detailed in the picture, Westwood was influenced by the past, the painting, Daphnis and Chloe, by François Boucher (1703-1770) is an influence on the clothes from 1992/1993 with the designs clearly representing Boucher’s painting.
Upon leaving the exhibition, you can find out more about Westwood’s latest passion, her work on climate change, and her Save the Arctic campaign.
The exhibition runs Monday to Saturday, from 10am – 4pm.
Malcolm Garret will also be talking about the collection at The Atkinson in its Object of the Month Talk on Wednesday, December 1, at 1pm. It’s free entry and donations are welcome.