Before this documentary was even released, Vivienne Westwood publicly denounced it. Nice to see the old girl has a bit of punk still in her.
Director: Lorna Tucker
Starring: Vivienne Westwood
Running time: 83 mins
Head of the major fashion house which shares her name, Vivienne Westwood is a legend, albeit a prickly, tough, take no nonsense kind of one. In response to a question about her part in the punk movement (that she and her ex-partner Malcolm McLaren basically started) is, “It’s so boring” before asking if why she has to talk about it at all. She is no longer interested in her past, or in the rags-to-riches tale of her rise to success in the fashion industry. What Vivienne wants now is to focus on her activism and her desire to use her powerful influence for the good of the planet. That’s the beef she has with director Lorna Tucker for not focusing enough on that side of her life:
“…there’s not even 5 minutes of activism in the film, instead there’s lots of old fashion footage… It’s a shame because the film is mediocre, and Vivienne and Andreas are not” (@FollowWestwood – 19.01.2018).
This may not be the activist/revolutionary portrait that Vivienne set her heart on, but the film does make a well measured and considered depiction of a woman who is fashion designer, celebrity, business woman, mother and partner. I found that, in examining Westwood and all the aspects of her world, the film also revealed (whether by chance or not) a very vulnerable side – a side that seems a little lost, and out of its depth. Through its success, her company has become such a behemoth that her control of its direction and focus seems to be foundering and while the company storms ahead, it is possible that Dame Vivienne feels left behind?
I was struck by the quiet dignity and grace Westwood displayed in the face of mockery
Life has not been easy for her and the darker parts of her past are explored alongside the better and more successful times, from the break-up of her first marriage to Derek Westwood to her tempestuous and difficult relationship with McLaren which ended bitterly and left her in a dire financial situation. As a single mother bringing up two children and running her business from the confines of her small London flat which she lived in for nearly 30 years, you have to admire her tenacity. She has worked hard to make it in a notoriously harsh and unforgiving industry.
One of the more uncomfortable moments in the documentary is a return to the infamous Sue Lawley television interview she appeared on, where her models, wearing the latest collection, were brought out in front of an audience who proceeded to loudly laugh at and ridicule both them and her. I was struck by the quiet dignity and grace Westwood displayed in the face of mockery. Lawley herself must have had some misgivings, when she reached over and asked Westwood if she was ok, and not taking it too seriously. Similarly, seeing Westwood being snubbed time and again at the British Fashion Awards for British Designer of the year, to the point where everyone else had been awarded before her, the sheer delight of seeing her win two years in a row is so satisfying, even if the presenter begins by saying "Oh dear..." before giving her the award.
Dame Vivienne has been given an entire film all to herself, but it is not nearly enough to contain her huge persona and character. Yet it does give us more than just a glimpse at an extraordinary person who could very well be a British treasure, whether she likes it or not.
Did you know? Vivienne Westwood did not start working in fashion until she was 30 years old.
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