Published to accompany the V&A’s landmark exhibition in 2004, Vivienne Westwood by Claire Wilcox remains the first full-length study of one of fashion’s most influential designers. Tracing Westwood’s career from the radical energy of punk through to the establishment of her fashion house, the book captures the foundations of a practice that reshaped British fashion and continues to resonate decades later.
 
As the first retrospective devoted to her work, it set the framework for how Westwood’s legacy has since been understood and discussed. Claire Wilcox’s text offers a focused and insightful look at Westwood’s inspirations, working methods, and intellectual approach to design.
 
Through key collections such as Pirate, Mini-Crini, Anglomania, and Harris Tweed, the book examines her use of tailoring, fabric, pattern, and historical reference, drawing connections to paintings and garments from major museum collections that informed her work.
 
More than 250 illustrations chart the evolution of her ideas, from early looks worn by the Sex Pistols to designs created for figures like Sarah Jessica Parker and Tracey Emin. Personally selected by Westwood, the photographs combine catwalk images, campaigns, fashion editorials, and rare archival material, offering a vivid record of a career defined by invention, range, and lasting cultural impact.