My Westwood journey was born the day I walked previous Vivienne Westwood’s Anglomania assortment at a trend tradeshow in Las Vegas. I made a decision at that second so as to add the model to our assortment after I was the pinnacle of Zappos Couture again in 2008.
Years later, the selection to purchase her model that day in the end landed me essentially the most splendid place because the president of gross sales for Vivienne Westwood America. I used to be blessed to be working for a real icon and legend within the trend trade.
Vivienne made punk rock trend a phenomenon, reinvented the corset and with each assortment was all the time years forward of her time. Her kinds weren’t made for the mass-market shopper however for these of us who wish to categorical ourselves and who dare to “stay quick and die younger,” certainly one of her most well-known statements.
She remodeled the way in which we view trend and was extremely influential, staying centered on environmental points all through her profession. Her messages spoke loudly and clearly on her designs: Vivienne impressed her clients to give attention to essential messages by way of her collections like Cease Conflict, Local weather Revolution, Politicians are Criminals, Save the Arctic and extra.
Vivienne and her group at Westwood despised warfare – particularly the one in Ukraine – and she or he spoke out many occasions all through her profession about how warfare is the most important polluter.
Plus she wrote a each day weblog, “Local weather Revolution,” the place Vivienne featured me the day of the U.S. election in 2016 speaking together with her about how America wanted to “get up” and never vote for Donald Trump.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to spend time together with her in Paris, Milan, and London the place she taught all of us how corrupt the world and folks could be.
Vivienne was so enthusiastic about saving the setting she would actually choose to even reuse her tea baggage. When within the Paris showroom we must depart a notice on them to inform the employees to not throw them out so she may use them a second or third time. She could be upset if somebody trashed them as she was fully dedicated to recycling.
I additionally vividly keep in mind watching her good a garment. She would see each element and alter simply the smallest a part of it so the design could be impeccable. All my mates who labored instantly together with her on the design course of stated they realized a lot working with Vivienne and she or he was their final trainer. There was nothing like watching her work and till not too long ago she nonetheless rode a push bike to the design studio in London.
To this present day about half my closet is stuffed with Vivienne Westwood designs and the opposite half with Ukrainian trend designs. I’d say my wardrobe is perfection with the combo of such expertise.
The Westwood firm consisted of a crew that had been a number of the most unconventional forged of characters and I match proper in. Fortunately I nonetheless have the Vivienne Westwood group of people that reside all around the globe in my life so we are going to struggle to uphold her values collectively for future generations. The world shall be much less knowledgeable with out her each day activism and affect. She was a real legend; the best disruptor and I’ll miss her terribly.
Vivienne died on Dec 29.
Jen Sidary has led and applied partnerships between manufacturers and established retailers from around the globe, with a profession spanning greater than three many years.
Sidary based ANGELFORFASHION.com in April 2022, a multi-brand trend eCommerce web site to help Ukrainian designers and their corporations to outlive the warfare. She has labored throughout a number of formidable tasks with USAID Aggressive Financial system Program as a trend trade knowledgeable showcasing Ukrainian manufacturers at New York and Paris Trend Weeks.
Previous to her work with Ukraine, Sidary was previously the President of Gross sales for Vivienne Westwood America and the Head of Zappos Couture.
