Vivienne Westwood Gold Label

Knit Dress

In 1971, as punks and new wave music flooded London, Dame Vivienne Westwood made her big debut at a legendary gritty shop on 430 King's Road. Owned and operated by her then beau (and manager of the Sex Pistols), this particular boutique offered Westwood's leather creations and catered to the neighborhood punks. She established her eponymous line in 1981, followed by a Red Label collection that catered to a younger audience and the launch of Anglomania. Westwood is noted for bringing the edgy, British anti-conformist scene to a mass market through collections inspired by pirates, Victorian dramas, and pairing an abundance of tartan with outlandish styles. Her runways have inspired other designers, including John Galliano and Karl Lagerfeld, and led to her own retrospective in 2004 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 1992, she was awarded the OBE from Queen Elizabeth II, later advancing to DBE in 2006.