Vivienne Westwood FW23-24 Marries Old Hollywood, Punks and Renaissance Themes

The Queen of Punk Dame Vivienne Westwood may no longer be with us, but her irreverent spirit lives on. With Andreas Kronthaler at the helm of the iconic British House, Vivienne Westwood the brand delivers collections that take us on a journey, and for Fall/Winter 2023-2024, we’re taking a trip that combines eras and subcultures spanning from the 17th Century to Old Hollywood and beyond.

While House cues make their presence known — tartan can be found in abundance across corsets, vests, tailored jackets and pants, for example — there’s also a big focus on subverting such traditions. For example, the broad shoulders on a blazer paired with trousers tucked into riding boots screams of Renaissance period cues, while tartan used on fringed mini skirts and knitted polo shirts continues to mix up expectations.

Elevating Vivienne Westwood’s ability to subvert, we find ripped jeans that are contrasted with perfectly cut-out holes on the knee and slithers of skin peeking out on the hips, making the denim look almost like chaps — something that’s encouraged with the hairy cowhide cowboy boots and the topless male model.

Punkish preppy references appear through denim mini skirts keeping shirts and ties secured, while the Westwood Orb logo now adorns a Cobain-esque knit in a graffiti fashion, upping the anarchistic ante. Throughout the collection is a notion of D.I.Y., a sense that both the clothes and the outfits are concocted to be free-spirited and fun: a little white cardigan and skirt twin-set paired with a carpet bag, grandma prints on cardigans paired with those aforementioned jeans, or body-hugging tartan corsets worn with enticing ride knee-high boots explore the clash of references best.

Speaking on the campaign, Kronthaler said: “We shot the collection in Peter Jones — it was our favorite shop. It’s a store for everyone. You can find everything you need. It’s an English institution. We also shot at Sadie Coles’ gallery in Mayfair, she’s a friend and we were allowed to shoot with the art, Jonathan Lydon Chase — great paintings and great sculptures. Then all around town — Carnaby Street, Soho. It’s a mix of London, Londoners.”

Take a look at the FW23-24 campaign above, and find more on Vivienne Westwood’s site.

In other news, Dsquared2 has dropped its SS23 Honda collaboration.

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