Vivienne Westwood's London

Bonjour,

I will have my closet organization guide up later on today but I found an article I had to share with you.

"Never mind the tame name. Vivienne Westwood’s London, a one-hour documentary produced by FashionTelevision and premiering on CTV on Jan. 22 at 7 p.m., is a trip and a half, a magical mystery tour of one of the design world’s most active minds.

The program is also an inventive and entertaining travelogue that stops by places both familiar (the National Gallery) and unexpected (the gravesite of the first actor to play Hamlet). But that’s not the reason Westwood agreed to five days of non-stop shooting. She did it to promote her conviction that culture — which entails a love of art and a faith in human genius — represents not only the first step in walking tall but also the last hope against the forces of consumerism, conformity and climate change.

Always intellectually inclined, Westwood, last week by phone from her London studio, reiterated her long-held belief that the clothes we wear on our backs matter less than the heads we carry on our shoulders.

“The thing is, if you become an art lover, you also become a freedom fighter. Nothing will ever blow you away. You should get engaged in trying to understand what the danger is from climate change, inform yourself about what the scientists are saying.”

Ever giving voice to complicated and difficult thoughts, Westwood is never less than a vision to behold. Not being able to see her, I have to ask what she’s wearing. Westwood, who turns 70 this year, tells me that she has on a knitted catsuit, with buttons from the crotch to the top. “And then, platform boots.”

In no time at all, however, Westwood steers the conversation toward more edifying matters. The catsuit is made from wool. Wool has fallen out of fashion favour to the point that British farmers are not shearing sheep any more. Prince Charles is leading an initiative to get people to wear wool again.

Drawn to causes, Westwood is a revolutionary also known for ribaldry. She has used her recent collections to foster an awareness of the work of James Lovelock, the British scientist who forecasts that by the end of the century the planet will be mostly uninhabitable. At a show of her women’s collection for spring 2011, she presented necklaces she designed for Reprieve, an organization that works on behalf of political prisoners.

Still, she holds on to her sense of humour. Last Sunday in Milan, when she presented her men’s collection for next fall, she was less serious. A nod to the Royal wedding that is so much in the air, she offered her vision of the fantasy bridegroom, a fellow in baggy pants and lipstick.

In the documentary, Westwood reveals a similar range of interests. In one sequence, she is in awe of high culture, enjoying the 18th-century French art at the Wallace Collection, one of her favourite London museums. In another, she visits Hampton Court, once the home of Henry VIII. Particularly fascinated by the workings of the kitchen, which have been recreated, she encounters a food historian wearing period costume. Noticing a bump under his apron, she seizes the opportunity for a quick lesson in 16th-century tailoring and asks him how his tackle fits into his codpiece.

It’s typical of Westwood to seek instruction from history. “People shouldn’t be rushing around trying to find the latest thing, because there isn’t anything. The latest thing isn’t happening,” she says. “If we had more people realize that we are the past, then we might get something happening today.”

Source: The Toronto Star

I can't wait to see this! What about you?

Be back soon,

Ada