From her beginnings as the architect of the punk ‘look’ to her pioneering use of historical dressmaking techniques in contemporary fashion, over a fifty-year career Vivienne Westwood became one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. But no matter how successful she became, Vivienne never stopped pushing against the grain, always fighting hard for a better, fairer world. In her later years, she spearheaded the socially conscious ‘green’ fashion movement with her slogan ‘buy less, choose well, make it last’ and dedicated her last years to grassroots activism around ecological and social issues. After her passing in December last year, at i-Dentity we wanted to honour Vivienne’s work with a special episode looking at her life, work and activism.

In this episode, i-D’s Fashion Features Director Osman Ahmed speaks to fashion historian and Director of the Museum at FIT Valerie Steele, who contextualises Vivienne’s work in terms of its significance in the history of fashion and i-D’s Global Editorial Director Olivia Singer speaks to Vivienne Westwood’s significance as a designer in the contemporary moment. Vivienne’s youngest son, Joe Corré recounts growing up during the days of punk, and his daughter Cora Corré, who’s continuing Vivienne’s fight against oppression, explains what it was like having Vivienne Westwood as a grandmother.