Vivienne Westwood has made a habit of using her fashion shows as a platform for activism. This season, she was championing two related causes. In a note left for attendees at their seats, she invited them to join her at the People’s March for Climate, Justice and Jobs in London on November 29, just ahead of the start of the Paris climate talks. On the runway, meanwhile, she paid homage to Venice, a city that, perhaps due to climate change, is sinking even faster than it was before. Venice is a good theme for Westwood—her shows tend to have a certain carnival atmosphere in their mix of the decadent and the louche. You’d have expected a Vivienne Westwood Save Venice! collection to feature quite a few of her signature evening dresses, with their bouffant skirts and baroque swirls of sculptural draping.
But Westwood took another tack. Instead of cocktail looks, she emphasized rather plainspoken daywear silhouettes, shown on male as well as female models, in a gesture that read less political than as an homage to the Venetian tradition of the masque. The cross-dressing theme was echoed as well in the array of tailored items, in particular suits that looked oversize and mannish, with trousers cut to appear as though they’d been cinched up spontaneously to fit a woman’s smaller frame. That was one of Westwood’s dramatic flourishes; others included poufed sleeves and hardware and crystal embellishment sewn onto jackets. As far as theatrics went, however, Westwood saved her fire for a few spectacular pieces, such as the extra-long coats worn high overhead, which created a spookily huge silhouette, and a bodysuit of sequin-dripping net that conjured a very fancy birdcage. Needless to say, those looks had quite an impact on the runway. But the strongest ones at today’s show were much more straightforward—Westwood still drapes a mean dress, and her fluid silk frocks, bunched artfully in the front, made for a fine addition to her substantial oeuvre. They were dressy, those dresses, but had such a casual mien that you could imagine wearing one to march alongside the designer in London next month.
