'V' is for Vivacious, Vital, Vanguard, Victorious...The rarest star, Vivienne Westwood.
Having met Vivienne Westwood it will always be impossible to forget her. She was quite simply, much more than a force of Nature. Perhaps, to quote J.K Huysmans' famous book title...She was 'Against the Grain' - 'A Rebours.' Her style, her irreverence, her stance - everything she did from creating superb ballgowns a la the Age of Enlightenment to bicycling along the King's Road on an inclement day, with one of her carrier bags as a rain hat, she exuded what it really was to be unique - and so very British! We met initially for an interview and she never forgot me - often at parties, making a point of saying 'Oh that's Robin Dutt!' No matter how glitzy the crowd. When I once interviewed her at Fortnum & Mason (where we had afternoon tea) she turned up in a twinset and a felt crown. At the Wallace Collection, she explained to me her passion for Boucher and some time later, she gave a lecture on climate change there, wearing a headband with the word CHAOS.
Always fun, always unpredictable...Always, forever...Vivienne.
Words by Robin Dutt.
Read more in Robins book: Dandemonium - The Dandy Defined
See also
Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection - Part I at Christies