The History of Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood built her name on breaking rules, not following them. Together with Malcolm McLaren, she opened a boutique on London's King's Road in 1971, dressing the Sex Pistols and giving punk its uniform of tartan, safety pins and tailored chaos. What started as provocation became a full fashion house, with lines like Anglomania and Red Label carrying that punk spirit into ready to wear.
Westwood was made a Dame for her contribution to British fashion, and after her passing in December 2022, her husband and long time collaborator Andreas Kronthaler continues to design under the Vivienne Westwood name. The house remains one of the few in luxury fashion still openly political, still rooted in the same King's Road defiance it started with.
Iconic Designs and the Orb
No piece defines the brand like the Orb, Westwood's logo since the mid 1980s. She based it on the Sovereign's Orb from the British Crown Jewels, then wrapped it in rings inspired by Saturn, a mix of royal history and future thinking that sums up her whole design philosophy. It shows up everywhere in our collection, from pendant necklaces to belt buckles.
The Bas Relief pearl choker carries that same DNA in miniature, and remains one of the most recognisable pieces in modern streetwear and fashion alike. Beyond jewellery, look for structured corsetry, Harris Tweed inspired tartan, and Anglomania's draped, asymmetric cuts, all built to outlast trends rather than chase them.
2nd Culture's Curation and Authenticity Check
Vivienne Westwood jewellery is among the most counterfeited in fashion, which makes curation and authenticity checks non negotiable for us. Every piece we bring in gets checked by hand, from the weight and finish of the Orb hardware to stitching, hallmarks and labels, before it earns a place in the shop.
- Hardware check: authentic Orb pieces have a distinct weight and a clean, deep engraving, never a flat or shallow stamp
- Stitching and lining: genuine tailoring shows consistent thread, straight seams and correctly placed labels
- Provenance: we look at where a piece has come from and cross check it against known collections and seasons
That is the promise behind everything we sell: curated, handpicked, and checked twice before it reaches you.
How to Style Vivienne Westwood
Layer a Vivienne Westwood tartan blazer over a plain white tee and let the Orb pendant do the talking, finished with straight leg denim and boots for a look that reads more rebellion than red carpet. For something softer, pair a Bas Relief pearl choker with a slip dress or an oversized knit, the kind of contrast Westwood built her whole career on. If you love that same mix of tailoring and attitude, Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent sit right alongside her in our vintage designer collection.
Sizing and Fit
Vivienne Westwood runs on UK sizing, so always check the label rather than assuming your usual EU size. Corsetry and tailored pieces from the Red Label and Gold Label lines tend to fit closer to the body, while Anglomania cuts run looser and more draped by design. Jewellery like the Bas Relief choker is adjustable, so fit is rarely an issue there. When in doubt, drop by the store or reach out before ordering online, our team knows this collection piece by piece.
