Vivienne Westwood exhibition opens at The Museum at FIT

Westwood takes her turn at the finalé of the fall 2011 show.

When I moved to New York City in 1984, I’d just missed the heyday of the Mudd Club and, although CBGB’s was still going strong, we FIT students were strident devotees of Danceteria and Limelight. Music and fashion were transitioning from aggressive punk and New Wave into the more commercial and poppy MTV-ruled era of Prince, Madonna and Boy George. Harry Parnass and Nicola Pelly’s voluminous Parachute line and Stephen Sprouse’s Day-Glo graffiti-inspired looks ruled the day, but the ’80s wouldn’t have been the same without Vivienne Westwood. Westwood and Malcolm McLaren built their reputation with wild punk-inspired styles in the mid-1970s, but she didn’t gain wider recognition until 1985 when the couple and design duo split up.

Boy George, London, 1982. Black and white photograph. Courtesy of the artist. © Laura Levine.

The Museum of FIT and the school’s Master of Arts program in Fashion and Textile Studies present Vivienne Westwood, 1980-89 from March 8th through April 2nd, 2011. This will be the first exhibition focusing on Westwood’s transformation from street provocateur to legitimate fashion designer, will explore Westwood’s design aesthetic, press coverage and clientele, and will feature more than 40 objects, including clothing, photographs, magazines and videos.

Vivienne Westwood, man’s two-piece ensemble, red and gold cotton jersey, Civilizade collection, spring 1989, England, museum purchase.

The exhibition will conclude with a menswear ensemble from the Civilizade collection of spring 1989. The bi-colored knit ensemble, with articulated elbow and kneepads, combines Westwood’s interest in medieval heraldry with padding that is usually associated with skateboarding. In fact, the hues and color blocking make it look appropriate for the upcoming spring 2012 season!

A look from Vivienne Westwood Man autumn/winter 2011-2012 runway show

Co-curators Emma Kadar-Penner and Audrey Chaney will give public tours of the exhibition on March 16th and March 21st, as part of the museum’s Fashion Culture series. A website created in conjunction with the exhibition will include educational resources and further information about Westwood’s career and work in the 1980s. Visit www.fitnyc.edu/museum for more information.

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