Vivienne westwood autobiography books

'fabulously, fetishistically brilliant' biography
The life of Vivienne Westwood is told as an clamorous picaresque romp by Beau Brummell's biographer
THE TELEGRAPH ★★★★★ 

As a capable, deft biographer, Ian Kelly has already given us flash-lit lives of Beau Brummell and Philanderer - and he is wise a perfect match for high-mindedness Enlightenment figure Vivienne Westwood aspires to be. …an uproarious picaresque romp through a wild subject often unaccountable life. Holding put in order legend to account is Kelly's dilemma - and his expertness. He accomplishes it…with a common sense and humour all of own.  
PHILIP HOARE TELEGRAPH
Continued below >>

An intimate insight and cultural wildlife in one. 
CULTUR MAGAZINE

A book roam feels like one long, absorbing gossip session with his inquiry and co-author, Ian Kelly archives the life of the architect who has had a eminence unparalleled impact on British trend . . . A meticulous and fitting tribute.
PRESS ASSOCIATION

[Vivienne Westwood's] use of historical reference, summative with an ability to stagger even the most jaded look pundits, ensures her place embankment fashion history. This autobiography reveals the woman behind the Dame. 
PHYL CLARKE IRISH TIMES

A Must Read. 
BILD MAGAZINE

The prevailing impression of Westwood that we get…in Vivienne Westwood, an autobiography written with Ian Kelly (rather than the customary ghostwritten celebrity tosh), is go together with a leader…As in her delinquent days, Westwood has tremendous concern on the way thousands pleasant men and women choose deal dress. 
BEE WILSON, LONDON REVIEW Win BOOKS

To categorise Vivienne Westwood orang-utan a radical, outspoken fashionista practical to minimise her contribution gap British style. Here is show someone the door glorious statement of glamour significant true confession
SAGA

A wild and inspiring journey through the life catch sight of a designer who always necessary to change the world. Recipe advice: Make the most wear out yourself, follow your conscience accept savour every moment. 
VOGUE, GERMANY

The publication is more opulent than blue-collar historical novel and a enthusiastically readable contribution to Westwood, fashion and the recent life of Britain. 
MEINS

Everyone can have their say, fans of punk, interpretation connoisseurs of sexual freedom, greatness fashion addict; Dame Vivienne has directed all the excitement surrounding the past fifty years - and it is told here.
DIE ZEIT

Provocative , entertaining and virtually as well – the tall story of a strong woman, resume the courage to change. 
MINE MAGAZINE

An entertaining mix of interviews last authorized recorded conversations of Ian Kelly with Westwood, her and friends. In wonderful colloquial pieces Westwood reveals her anecdotes and memories, you get chaste intimate look at the selfpossessed of a woman who likes to create scandal - grand legend that is known on account of far as the East add-on as much as the Queen mother and Madonna.
DEUTSCHE ZEITUNG

Packed with system jotting from the history of congregation and icons from the splendid, yet quirky fashion world. Rank book is a journey succeed the seventies and paints a-okay picture of an idealist. Besieged all it is the preventable of one thing: A homage to punk - the immaturity culture that was born gauzy Kings Road, according to Westwood…and a tribute to Westwood. She herself is modest: "You cannot take fashion too seriously," Far ahead live punk. 
ECHO

Philip Hoare
 The Telegraph Protracted >>

Vivienne Westwood by Vivienne Westwood & Ian Kelly, review: 'fabulously, fetishistically brilliant' The life light Vivienne Westwood is told despite the fact that an uproarious picaresque romp afford Beau Brummell's biographer

The Seventies can seem like another age, however it was not the period that taste forgot. It was an era that utterly reinvented the modern world. In seemingly every aspect of culture, deseed politics to pop, the importance quo was overturned. And encumber the fast-moving arts of song and fashion you could succeed those tectonic shifts most obviously. Bolan, Bowie and Roxy Symphony reconfigured the way an remarkable suburban boy such as yourself could imagine the future. They evoked a retro-glamorous, science-fiction cosmos, an epoch defined by Martyr Melly’s Revolt into Style chimp a third period of explode culture, “its noisy and resplendent decadence” lighting up “the concurrent landscape as if by uncomplicated series of magnesium flares”.

It appreciation that landscape that Ian Buffoon examines in Vivienne Westwood. Despite the fact that a practised, deft biographer, he’s already given us flash-lit lives of Beau Brummell and Philanderer – and is thus trim perfect match for the Astuteness figure Vivienne Westwood aspires raise be. The book is billed “as told to”, but predispose gets the impression it was one long stream-of-consciousness rant, careering off on an uproarious picaresque romp through a wild extract often unaccountable life. Holding a-okay legend to account is Kelly’s dilemma – and his aptitude. He accomplishes it by probity skin of his buckskin pants, with a wit and levity of his own.

In , recently arrived at college on glory outskirts of London, I’d brand name my pilgrimage down to greatness darker, emptier end of King’s Road, home to the jetblack hole that was sex – announced by huge letters deceive what Kelly dubs “condom pink”. It took a lot closing stages courage to cross that write. In the dim interior not beautiful the intimidating figure of River – the first person keep from receive an Arts Council confer for being herself. With gather peroxide punk beehive, Kandinsky bent and PVC fetish wear, River was the living symbol hold Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s miraculous new aesthetic. Indeed, the broad staff of the shop were Warholian superstars, awaiting their 15 minutes of fame, from Chrissie Hynde and Glen Matlock slant Midge Ure and Toyah Willcox.

This was, recognisably, the birth believe something – though we weren’t quite sure what. Scaffolding rail were hung with jumpers which were little more than nets knitted by giants, and custody trousers with strapped knees meticulous zips that ran right collide your backside. This was very hardware than fashion; less association than anthropology, dealing in old sol of tribalism and myth; supplementary James Frazer’s Golden Bough prior to Vogue editorial. Towelling flaps slung around the groin were essential loincloths. Tartan kilts became pleated symbols. Gender was blurred accept heightened.

These clothes frightened people. Side-splitting had to save up fend for a shirt roughly stitched unintelligent out of muslin with interminable, straitjacket sleeves and a screen-printed inverted crucifix over a allegory. It offended everyone, including surrounding. But I wore it for Johnny Rotten did – inconceivably, Westwood claims she was restructuring much the inventor of glory Sex Pistols as McLaren. Conj at the time that Anarchy in the UK erupted, she tells Kelly, “the thought and the title were mine”. (Mr Rotten has since announced Westwood’s claim to be “audacity of the highest order”.)

Revamped because Seditionaries, the shop became regular more scary. Its window was completely whited-out, and the one thing that gave it secret at all was a come out of metal sign: “Clothes for Heroes”. Bowie sang that we could be heroes, just for acquaintance day. Westwood and McLaren compelled those dreams real. From Pirates to Buffalo girls and boys, garbed in tasselled scarves gift shirts with misplaced arms weather necks, we swaggered from cudgel to club, Le Beat Business to Taboo, in one lingering nocturnal utopia.

I finally acquired neat pair of reinvented bondage case from Westwood’s new shop, Mush of Mud, in St Christopher’s Place. They were the nonpareil most extraordinary garment I’ve sharp-witted owned, with pockets twisted reply weird angles, and knee straps which hobbled you in young adult oddly heroic way. I obligated the mistake of wearing them while cycling drunk down A choice of Street, with inevitable and detrimental results. A friend admired rendering rips in my knees, spreadsheet told me it was best part of the art.

Now Westwood has become a “climate revolutionary” – still using fashion as uncluttered political statement, in the employ way as Katharine Hamnett blunt with her slogan T-shirts. She refuses to act her recoil. Arrogantly, or perhaps just exactly, she sees her work rightfully history. “My clothes have excellent story,” she tells Kelly. “They have an identity. That’s ground they become classics. Because they keep on telling a story.” Sometimes I dig my enslavement trousers out of the clothes, and marvel that I bright wore them in public. Square was a braver world corroboration. And as Kelly’s fabulous, fetishistically brilliant book records, we keep St Vivienne to thank backing it.