Vivienne Westwood is widely known for her Punk style clothing and tartan patterns. However, she is not so well known for her environmental activism and that many of her collections are related to the issue of climate change. The main aim of these collections is to spread awareness about climate change and to highlight the severity of the current environmental situation. This is a long-standing cause that Vivienne is regularly in the media for. In the 2018 Paralympics closing ceremony she was seen holding a line sheet which read, “ The fight is no longer between the classes or between the rich and the poor but between the idiots and the eco-conscious”
According to ‘Dadzed Digital’ * Vivienne really believes in her cause and is more concerned about getting more supports rather than more sales as supported by her slogan of “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” which she stated in her interview at the Guardian live.
Vivienne Westwood is widely known for her Punk style clothing and tartan patterns. However, she is not so well known for her environmental activism and that many of her collections are related to the issue of climate change. The main aim of these collections is to spread awareness about climate change and to highlight the severity of the current environmental situation. This is a long-standing cause that Vivienne is regularly in the media for. In the 2018 Paralympics closing ceremony she was seen holding a line sheet which read, “ The fight is no longer between the classes or between the rich and the poor but between the idiots and the eco-conscious”
Titled as Climate Revolution, the exhibition features a heavenly juxtaposition of Vivienne Westwood's various pieces of work from 2016 to 2017 which are intended to raise awareness about climate change which, I feel, is a pressing issue in the world.
The crown is coloured red on the left and green on the right with oil pastels. On the left side, 'Ecotricity' is written in a typography way. Ecotricity is an energy company based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England specialising in selling green energy to consumers that it primarily generates from its 87.2-megawatt wind power portfolio. Below it is a circular paper with a crest which has the phrase ' your pill ' written across it. Vivienne might want to infer that you can choose to prevent climate change just like how you can choose to take a pill to save yourself or that you can arm yourself with the knowledge about climate change. There are broken pieces of bamboo which are likely to represent deforestation. Over the green side, there is another round paper cut-out which has the message of ' I.O.U Intellectuals Unite !' Vivienne Westwood is trying to call for people to come together to fight climate change. At the back of the crown, there are two cutouts of a penis and women breasts which Vivienne might have intended them as mockery.
The paperclip necklace hangs a picture Bradley Manning with the white word 'Truth' in the red rectangular background like the Supreme logo or Barbara Kruger’s work. Right next to the necklace, there is a plastic circular badge illustrating a sad face with the word “Climate Revolution” and arrows going around it. This seems like a cry for help to support the climate revolution. The badge is an excellent idea in bringing the message across to the public as it is not highly priced. Anyone who supports Vivienne’s idea could just buy the badges and wear them in public places.
The largest piece is an organic-shaped metallic bronze dress. From the front view, it looks like an aquatic creature, a fish or a whale. The edges of the dress look like they have been purposefully frayed to create a torn-and-tattered effect. The choice of metallic bronze could be a representation of the world which has turned brown as more trees are being cut down and the rivers are drying up. The tail-like shape might also convey the idea that climate change has a detrimental effect on aquatic life. Moreover, holding in her hand is a placard with the world map, showing inhabitable lands in red when the world’s temperature increases by 5-degree Celsius. The placard is a warning sign for the public to realise the alarming nature of climate change.
The white left arm stocking is written ' Stop climate change ' the words are inside a red arrow pointing towards the hands. On the right arm black stocking, it is written 'Do it yourself ' with a white arrow pointing towards the hand as well. Both of these arm stocking emphasises the fact that we have the ability to prevent climate change from happening in our own world with our own hands. In addition, the leg stockings are meant to be read together as ' Climate Revolution’. Left stocking is in green while the right stocking is in red. The play of complementary colours is really effective in grabbing the viewers’ attention to look at the leg stockings. By including the messages in the accessories such as the arm stockings and socks mean that it is easier for wearers to mix and match them with different outfits.
Therefore, Vivienne Westwood was successful in conveying her message through her garments. Just by taking a glance, one could tell that the message is about anti-climate change. Moreover, the colours used were effective in attracting the viewers’ attention. Hence, Vivienne Westwood effectively used fashion as a form of activism.
Titled as Climate Revolution, the exhibition features a heavenly juxtaposition of Vivienne Westwood's various pieces of work from 2016 to 2017 which are intended to raise awareness about climate change which, I feel, is a pressing issue in the world.
The paperclip necklace hangs a picture Bradley Manning with the white word 'Truth' in the red rectangular background like the Supreme logo or Barbara Kruger’s work. Right next to the necklace, there is a plastic circular badge illustrating a sad face with the word “Climate Revolution” and arrows going around it. This seems like a cry for help to support the climate revolution. The badge is an excellent idea in bringing the message across to the public as it is not highly priced. Anyone who supports Vivienne’s idea could just buy the badges and wear them in public places.
The white left arm stocking is written ' Stop climate change ' the words are inside a red arrow pointing towards the hands. On the right arm black stocking, it is written 'Do it yourself ' with a white arrow pointing towards the hand as well. Both of these arm stocking emphasises the fact that we have the ability to prevent climate change from happening in our own world with our own hands. In addition, the leg stockings are meant to be read together as ' Climate Revolution’. Left stocking is in green while the right stocking is in red. The play of complementary colours is really effective in grabbing the viewers’ attention to look at the leg stockings. By including the messages in the accessories such as the arm stockings and socks mean that it is easier for wearers to mix and match them with different outfits. Therefore, Vivienne Westwood was successful in conveying her message through her garments. Just by taking a glance, one could tell that the message is about anti-climate change. Moreover, the colours used were effective in attracting the viewers’ attention. Hence, Vivienne Westwood effectively used fashion as a form of activism.
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