Vivienne Westwood was born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Glossop, Derbyshire, on April 8, 1941. She studyed one semestar at Harrow School of Art. She was working as a teacher for a while.

Vivienne Westwood began designing clothes in 1971. The same year she and Malcolm McLaren (the former manager and impresario of the Sex Pistols) opened boutique “Let it Rock”, renamed “Too Fast to Live, Too Yong to Die” (1972), “Sex” (1974) and “Seditionaries” (1977).

In 1990 Westwood was named British Designer of the Year, as well as in 1991.

Photo: BGNES