Vivienne Westwood S/S 2014 Paris

[Bernadette]

style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Bernadette]

Photos courtesy of style.com

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Oh, what a darling! Her last looks are absolutely beautiful - that final parade of gowns repeatedly topping one another, and there is so little repetition. I really like everything, yes, even the kitten ( ) except for maybe those super-big shoulders on a few outfits. Lovely show.

 

[Andymoon]

What's the inspiration behind this?

 

[Phuel]

It's been awhile since I've liked a Viv collection-- not that I've ever lost my fondness and reverence for the ol' grand Dame of Punk. This collection has somewhat rekindled my excitement for her work--or should it be collaboration since her husband has an active part now in the collections.

I sense a Mexican vibe, with Frida Kahlo and the Virgin Mary as reference point here, and still that ever-present Anglo-maniacal maverick vibe that is Viv's signature. The ol' girl hasn't lost her spirit.

THis collection feels refreshed, yet not quite all that it could be. Her/ their revision of the signature Westwood dress is lighter and younger, and less costumey here. I see a few jackets, but I'm missing her impeccable suitings. The casual section with the tees aren't necessary and look incomplete within the context of the show. About the show, it looks too neon-lit-- like an 80s "diner": Not the best setting to showcase the vibe of the collection in its most flattering light. Hard to say really, since only a bit of blurry background is shown in these shots. The Westwood-signture crimson red would be a more befitting backdrop I think.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

It looks like she came in off an escalator, so I thought of malls??

Also, I sensed some fairy tale references (little Bo peep?) and something about innocence (kittens! ) but I'd like to know a little more about the references.

It could be about longing for something pastoral, like looking for an Arcadia (an idyllic place, a place where innocence is not lost) as opposed to an Arcade (a shopping mall)????

That would certainly suit Vivienne's (correct imo) preoccupation with environmentalism. Utopic or idealistic it may be, but also important.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

some of the most beautiful dresses ive seen

 

[jeanclaude]

I only like her punk past, when she created really cutting-edge pieces. When she begun to turn into historic dresses and ethnic references, I lost totally my interest in her work.

 

[GirlGoneChic]

These have to be some of the most horrific dresses I've ever seen.

 

[Bernadette]

September 28, 2013 Paris
By Maya Singer

Vivienne Westwood continued her medieval streak today, shifting from last season's riff on the Crusades to this one's bounce off the Canterbury cloisters. What got Westwood going, according to her show notes, was the idea of how ordinary people lived in the Middle Ages with a completely matter-of-fact belief in transfiguration. That's an interesting theme, but per usual, Dame Viv pursued it in a flotsam-jetsam way: There were peak-shouldered jackets, second-skin knits, lace made out of leather, draped bias-cut dresses with a goddess-y feel. There were also painted tropical florals, fantastic full skirts bursting with tulle, and, among other things, cats. The cat thing really made you wonder if Westwood was up to something much more crafty and clever than she was letting on, which was to create a collection so unbelievably random and occasional in its appeal that it actually re-created the experience of falling down the K-hole of the Internet. Anyway, kudos if so, and even if not, you always have to give Westwood total credit for the knockout looks she inevitably flashes up on the runway. Catching sight of her full black skirt with wine-colored tulle, plus matching cleavage-baring top, was a bit like happening upon a cut of the dance scene from Bande à Part on a glassy-eyed browse through YouTube. Cat video, footage from an eccentric wedding, some vlogger's selfie rundown of the stuff she bought on a recent shopping trip, a drunk cover version—in Finnish!—of Britney Spears' "Toxic," and then, out of nowhere, a masterwork. The woman's a legend. She can do what she wants.

Source: style.com