Vivienne Westwood Plays Match-Maker

Vivienne Westwood does not care about what anybody says. Though she has been harshly criticized by the British press, she still marches to the beat of her own drum. She lives in her own stratosphere, where a small dose of hilarity is part of an everyday routine. Her work is esoteric, sure it doesn't resonate with most of the world, but if she'd produce "crap", she would have not been on business for over four decades. I'd like to think of Westwood as a cult-following brand. I can clearly envision on a underground locale somewhere in the U.K. a small throng of misfits who see Damme Westwood as their hero. 

Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2011/12

Who's the Westwood man? Is he gay, straight? A revel or conformist? Taking into account her recently unveiled collection for next fall/winter, I see the man in her dreams is going through an identity crisis. And that implies, his personality and behavior directly affects on what he wears. According to official press (a source I have to rely on since I was not in attendance) Westwood intended to make her catwalk a platform to showcase British blokes on search for their better-halves. "Come on girls, our catwalk is your chance to dream", she told Matthew Schneier. In light of the approaching royal wedding of Prince Williams and soon to be princess Catherine Middleton, it only seemed opportune that Westwood would build upon the hoopla. But as we all know, in her world, the simplest things become twisted or even complexed. 

The show opened with a medley combo of loose-fitting 3-piece suits in camel and steel blue, that vaguely echoed the undoubtedly 60's bespoke tailoring . Some were even worn with simple tees. The jackets were buttoned up on the bias, giving the illusion that there was an obvious human error. Moreover, there were pleated, high-waisted trousers (some sustained by thick suspenders) and roomy, paper-waist pants that elicited a slight street vibe. A concurrent trend seen in most collections in Milan was the drop-crotched pants (God, help us), they were shown with hoodies and bright colored knits. For night, she proposed classic tuxedos with diamon-shaped cutouts on the shoulders. Furthermore, Westwood is a master of delivering double-meaning innuendos through her work. I couldn't help but intermittently notice throughout the collection apparitions of what seems to be parrots in love (festooned on sweater, last look on picture above) or ancient Egyptian aves (on first look, picture below). If there was a symbolism behind the motifs, it only added depth and dimension to the collection. 

I haven't come across any woman who prefers her beau with painted lips and perfectly coiffure a la Josephine Baker. But apparently, Westwood finds something charming in a man in touch with his feminine side. Her subversive, anti-establishment aesthetic was manifested not only on the clothes, but with the attitude of the models. A few of them made goofy gestures as they were walking down the runway, even one of them gave the finger to the photographers on the pit. Though that may not be socially or morally appropriate, that perhaps was her response to the vilification in the air.