Vivienne Westwood Corset SS 1992 Runway Worn Rare Collectors black lace ICONIC
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 14 (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Berlin, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2727215620652
Vivienne Westwood
For someone who regularly swatted away the industry that made her, audacious British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood certainly knew her way around a garment. And she knew how to provoke. “I don’t follow fashion,” Westwood once told the New York Times. “I’ve never been interested in it.” Collectors are certainly interested in her work, and vintage Vivienne Westwood dresses, handbags, lingerie and jackets have become very desirable over the years.
Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in a village in Derbyshire, in central England, but moved to London as a teen. In the early 1960s, she began to make her own necklaces and other jewelry and met an artist, activist and entrepreneur named Malcolm McLaren. They became involved romantically and she made clothes for him in the style of the Teddy Boys — the city’s music-crazed, occasionally violent teenagers at the time who wore high-waisted trousers and tailored velvet blazers that drew on Edwardian-era fashions.
Westwood and McLaren opened a vintage shop on King’s Road in London in 1971. The flared denim and peasant blouses of the 1960s, then still popular with the “peace and love” set, didn’t hold any weight for Westwood. Instead, she was interested in provocative, edgy apparel. She repaired used clothing and endeavored to create bold new designs from scratch.
Together Westwood and McLaren sold older rock-and-roll records, customized T-shirts with antiestablishment slogans, biker jackets and snug trousers inspired by the Marlon Brando film The Wild One as well as bondage fetish wear. The shop, once called Let It Rock and then Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die before Sex became a more appropriate moniker, evolved into a youth mecca. The DIY garments — zippered tops, burnt tees emblazoned with anarchist messages — flew off the shelves. More notably, it brought punk to the masses.
Westwood was soon dressing the Sex Pistols, a band that McLaren managed, all the while bridging the gap between music and fashion in a manner that has reverberated throughout the industry for decades.
In 1981, the couple’s first fashion show marked the debut of their Pirate collection — a swashbuckler-themed line that sprang from Westwood’s research into Indigenous Americans and the “power garments” of the Louis XIV era. The collection’s ample proportions and cutting-edge tailoring countered punk’s geometry and tight latex fits as well as what rocker Adam Ant called the “Puritanism” that plagued England at the time. The Pirate collection’s enduring influence on the world of fashion as well as the theatrical work of designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen is undeniable.
For the colorful corsets of her 1990 Portrait collection, Westwood drew on 18th-century oil paintings — her models donned the pearl necklaces that have become a social media star and a favorite of influencers and fashion lovers all over the world. For a jacket-and-shorts suit from her Fall/Winter 1996–97 Storm in a Teacup line, the designer used the extreme asymmetry of a tartan mash-up to confront, according to Westwood, “the horror of uniformity and minimalism.”
The self-taught Westwood enjoyed a rapid ascent in fashion, with British society embracing her looks and Vogue immortalizing them in its glossy pages. She garnered accolades for introducing corsets to the runway and dressed Kate Moss and Helena Bonham Carter. And an original Vivienne Westwood wedding dress is featured in 2008’s Sex and the City film.
The fires of political and environmental activism burned brightly for Westwood: She was a Greenpeace ambassador, having designed the organization’s official “Save the Arctic” logo; her clothing brand is committed to using recycled canvas and other eco-friendly materials in the production process; and in 2020, she protested the extradition of Julian Assange by suspending herself in a bird cage outside London’s Old Bailey court. But she will always be the grande dame of British design.
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Vivienne Westwood shirts, shoes, gowns and other items today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Berlin, Germany
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Iconic Vivienne Westwood Documented 1992 Black Sheer Mesh Bodysuit TopBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Berlin, BEThe stunning 1992 Vivienne Westwood Boulle bodysuit. Iconic Vivienne Westwood Collectors Piece. Sexy semi sheer black bodysuit featuring the ...Category
1990s Bodysuits
- Beautiful Vintage Silk Kimono Dress Gown 1950s Couture Asian Robe Coat 40s 50sLocated in Berlin, BEHollywood Glamour Vibes. Not sure if I'm really ready to part with her but oh well... This true beauty is what boudoir dreams are made of. The most amazing pure Silk Kimono Dress...Category
1950s Loungewear
- Sensational Iconic Corset Mister Pearl for Thierry Mugler Semi Sheer BodiceBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Berlin, BEHoly Grail. Iconic Muesum Worthy Collectors Piece Extremely rare spectacular Corset created by the One And Only Mister Pearl for Thierry Mugler. Kylie ...Category
Early 2000s French Corsets
- Vivienne Westwood Corset Iconic Rare 90s Red LabelBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Berlin, BEExtremely rare vintage original Vivienne Westwood corset. A stunning piece of Fashion History. One of the masterfully created iconic Westwood...Category
1990s Italian Corsets
- Thierry Mugler SS 1989 Les Atlantes Jacket Black Dramatic Sculptural ArchiveBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Berlin, BEFabulous black Thierry Mugler Jacket, Spring Summer 1989 Collection Stunning and super dramatic sculptural jacket from Thierry Mugler's iconic LES ATLANTES Collection 1989. A rare Collectors piece and example of the Designer Legend's iconic signature looks: Phenomenal tailoring, extraordinairy shapes and a beautiful feminine sculptural silhouette. Asymmetrical pointy high collar, fin-like shaped details on the sleeves and a silver metal detail at the waist. Deep sexy V-Neck and closes with one press button at the waist. LES ATLANTES "The Thierry Mugler Spring/Summer 1989 show, entitled 'Les Atlantes,' took place at Paris Fashion Week. Inspired by the deep seas, a group of models in jumpsuits with fish gills on the hips emerged as futuristic sea creatures. Jacket necklines were cut in the shape of waves, fins were attached to sleeves, and peplum waists were made from transparent plastic. A swimwear section rendered in silver, shades of blue, and water print, was complete with fish gill detailing and fin-shaped bracelets. Sleeves of dresses came attached to the bodice, whilst pulling down hems revealed jagged pockets reminiscent of shark teeth...Category
1980s French Jackets
- Original Véronique Branquinho FW 2002 Gold Lamé Blouse Runway CoutureBy Veronique BranquinhoLocated in Berlin, BEFW 2002 Collection Runway Piece by Véronique Branquinho. Gold metallic lamé blouse, very beautiful and delicate high quality. Marked size 38, bes...Category
Early 2000s Blouses
- Circa 1940's jersey cocktail dress with pink flowers printedLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRjersey cocktail dress with pink flowers printed. Gather in the middle front on the bust, ruffles on the hips, zip on the left side. Size MCategory
1940s American Robes
- Black tulle see-through bodysuit with lace appliqué La Perla ( no brand tag)By La PerlaLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlack tulle bodysuit with lace appliqué. No brand tag. Adjustable shoulder straps. Hook& eye on the inseam. SIZE SCategory
2010s Unknown Bodysuits
- Beige lace lace bustier with boned and padded Marvel by La PerlaBy La PerlaLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBeige lace lace bustier with boned and padded. Fabric composition: tulle, lace, acetate, nylon, polyamide & elasthane. Zip and hook&eye on the left side.Satin ribbon bow in the mid...Category
2010s Italian Bustles
- Dolce & Gabbana Vintage Floral Under bust Corset Tank TopBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBWe are excited to present this Dolce & Gabbana Vintage Floral Under bust Corset Tank Top. Features leather trim with boning, lace front with lace up detail for closure, mesh floral ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Corsets
- F/W 2013 Look # 30 NEW VERSACE T-STRAP EMBELLISHED HARNESS with CRYSTALS 38 - 4By VersaceLocated in Montgomery, TXVERSACE Actual runway sample Fall/Winter 2013 Look # 30 This fully embellished t-strap harness from Versace features spike studs and crystal hardware...Category
2010s Italian Belts
- 1970S Navy Men's Velour Fleece Striped Sleeve Loungewear RobeLocated in New York, NY1970S Navy Men's Velour Fleece Striped Sleeve Loungewear RobeCategory
1970s Robes