LONDON: You could be forgiven for thinking Vivienne Westwood had the royal wedding in mind when she designed her latest collection, themed on Lewis Carroll’s mad queens and accessorised it with crowns and hats but the grande dame of British fashion said her Red Label’s Autumn/Winter 2011 designs had nothing to do with the forthcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
She also revealed she would not be dressing the bride, “I’d love to have dressed Kate Middleton but we’ll have to wait until she catches up a bit in style,” Westwood, 69, told reporters before her show on February 20 at the Royal Courts of Justice, on the third day of the London Fashion Week. The royal family seems to be the focus of her latest collection, but through the warped view of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, notably the constantly running Red Queen and the White Queen who falls through a bush.
The models had messy hairdos, some with rollers still in, while a number sported crowns as hats, made of wire or soft fabric, worn nonchalantly like a beanie, and some had head-scarves similar to those worn by Queen Elizabeth II. “We’ve ended up with a bizarre look at the royal family from an Alice in Wonderland point of view, it’s all very dishevelled,” said Westwood.
There were suits in checks and tartans, sexy dresses, brightly-coloured capes made from feathers, trousers and a dress patterned with the blue and gold fleur-de-lis that has long been associated with European monarchs. Despite the season, shorts were very much in evidence, in a black velvet tuxedo suit, in brown silk boxers with a maroon jersey over knee-high socks, or in silk red boxers with a bronze distressed leather jacket.
Westwood said these were one of her favourite items of clothing, explaining: “Boxer shorts are a tip. If I were a young girl, I think it’s a wonderful look. And I really like tights on top of things, tights on top of boxer shorts,”said Westwood. The designer herself was wearing a blue silk outfit based on a dancer’s dress she saw on a recent trip to the ballet — with a towel used as a shawl.
Westwood was the highlight of the day of classic British style at the London Fashion Week, including shows by Jasper Conran and Mulberry.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2011.
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