The Westwood Autumn-Winter 2024/25 began here – looking to the early 19th century ‘Empire style’ movement: the Napoleonic aesthetic, the extravagant opulence of Imperial Rome – references to classical antiquity and military uniform.
“Andreas bought me Goethe’s ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ (Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, 1774). It was the first tragic novel, and it caused a sensation – and was one of the factors which led to the Romantic movement. Napoleon took ‘Werther’ on his Egyptian campaign in 1798 – and when he met Goethe in 1808, he told him that he had read the book seven times – he decorated him. It is still a model of literature in the education curriculum across Europe.”~ Vivienne Westwood
Full sleeves, high collars, and drapery – gilt metal frames, equestrian polished leather accessories and dancing slippers. We shot on an English farm, the bucolic pastoral landscapes and still life – scenes of romanticism.
Draped Lochcarron of Scotland wool tartan and printed tartans on outerwear, tailoring, shirts and dresses, military details like frogging appear on jacquard knitwear, and bustle skirts are in practical organic cotton drill. Harris Tweed combined with box denim, earthy tailoring stripes and torn knitwear – the ‘toe’ shoes add to the wildness.
Camouflage comes in our Rubbish print, highlighting consumer waste, here in cotton lawn worn with fine lace knitwear, the scribbled Felt Tip print on jersey and modern Graffiti artwork on the Cobrax corset and Double Waistband Foam skirt. All-over floral and graphic illustrations are created in collaboration with Revere the Residence*.
Our 90s Salon print is used on fluid jersey draped dresses and undergarments worn with dismantled metallic knitwear, satin tailoring, and velvet brocade corsetry – historical silhouettes, subverted.
