British designer Vivienne Westwood's wardrobe to be auctioned for charity

The personal wardrobe of the late British fashion designer and political activist Vivienne Westwood is going up for sale with proceeds donated to causes supported by the “queen of punk.”

“Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection” comprises more than 250 garments and accessories, most of which were runway looks before being worn by the designer herself.

The collection features some of her most iconic designs, including corsets, tartan prints, billowing taffeta dresses, platform heels and T-shirts with political slogans.

The online sale organized by Christie's in London begins on Friday and will end on June 28, and will include a live auction on June 25.

The lots include custom-designed playing card prints intended to shed light on issues such as climate change, social inequality and human rights.

Ten have been expanded and signed by Westwood, who died in 2022 at age 81, to raise funds for Greenpeace.

Other profits will be donated to charities such as Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the designer's own Vivienne Foundation, which works with NGOs “to create a better society and stop climate change.”

The collection's cataloguer and sales coordinator, Clementine Swallow, told AFP that the “Vivienne Playing Cards” were the catalyst for a larger charity auction.

Although Westwood “knew she wasn't going to be able to pull off the project…she had a desire to have her personal wardrobe sold to benefit other charities important to her,” Swallow said.

Westwood widower Andreas Kronthaler, 58, has been closely involved in the sale. “He personally prepared each of the batches to be an outfit that she would have worn,” Swallow said.

“These are the items she chose to have, out of the thousands of things she designed over 40 years,” he said. “They're the kind of things that she felt were the epitome of her designs.”

– Sustainability –

The collection includes a number of pieces that illustrate Westwood's cultural impact and the wide range of influences he gained throughout his four-decade career.

The first piece is a 1983 navy blue jacket and skirt set from the Fall-Winter 1983 “World's End, Witches” collection, when Westwood was still collaborating with her first husband and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren.

Westwood was influenced by British history but gave classic designs a provocative twist, Swallow said, highlighting in particular a taffeta ballgown with “bondage-style black wraps.”

Many of the garments feature political graphics and slogans that reflect Westwood's social justice advocacy.

“A big part of Vivienne's identity is activism…She really is one of those designers who took her clothes and used them as a mouthpiece to express her political ideas and opinions,” Swallow said.

Other collection highlights include Westwood's signature pink tartan pattern and a cropped blue jacket identical to the one worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell during a notorious incident when she fell on the runway while wearing 12-inch (30-centimeter) Westwood platforms. .

There are also early examples of designer stretch corsets.

Sustainability and ethical fashion are also key themes: the most expensive piece is a hand-sewn cut-out illusion dress with intricate beading and gold panels, created with artisans in Kenya.

All materials used in the exhibition are recycled or recyclable, including cardboard signs and plywood stands.

“It's been a great lesson for us, (to show that) we can make recyclable displays,” Swallow said.

The collectibles are priced between £200 and £7,000 ($255 and $9,000), but are expected to sell much more given Westwood's reputation.

Museums and other institutions are expected to bid, but Swallow said the designer “loved the idea that (her clothes) could be worn by real people.”

“The idea that they can have another life is wonderful,” he said.