Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood is the British fashion house founded by the designer Vivienne Westwood, whose first King's Road shop with Malcolm McLaren opened in 1971. Run as a private company with Andreas Kronthaler, her husband and longtime collaborator, it is known for punk origins, historical tailoring and its orb logo.

What is Vivienne Westwood?

Vivienne Westwood is a London fashion house that turned the energy of 1970s punk into a lasting luxury brand. Its design language combines British tailoring, tartan, corsetry and historical references with a strong activist voice, and its orb logo is one of the most recognisable in British fashion.

History

Westwood and Malcolm McLaren opened their King's Road boutique in 1971 as Let It Rock. It was renamed several times, including Sex in 1974 and Seditionaries in 1976, and has traded as Worlds End at 430 King's Road since 1980. Their shop was a hub of punk fashion, and in 1981 they staged Pirates, their first commercial ready-to-wear collection.

After the partnership ended, Westwood built her own business with boutiques, multiple collections and accessories. The mini crini of 1985 marked a turning point, and the orb logo was adopted for the Autumn and Winter 1987 collection. She was made a Dame in 2006, and a 2004 V&A retrospective became the museum's largest exhibition of a British designer. Westwood died in London on 29 December 2022. Andreas Kronthaler, her husband and design partner, continues to shape the collections.

Products and positioning

• Ready-to-wear: women's and men's collections
• Accessories: bags, shoes and the orb motif
• Jewellery: including orb pendants and pearl necklaces

Business model and distribution

The business operates as Vivienne Westwood Ltd. Its website listed 102 store locations in 17 countries in 2025, and it also sells online and through wholesale. Trademark rights were placed in a Luxembourg company, Latimo, in 2002, which licenses the name to the business.

Why it matters

Vivienne Westwood shows how a counterculture label can become a durable global brand while remaining privately held, and how founder values such as activism and sustainability can remain central after the founder's death.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Vivienne Westwood?

Vivienne Westwood is a privately held British company, Vivienne Westwood Ltd. Its trademark rights are held by Latimo, a Luxembourg company that Westwood set up in 2002 and in which she held the majority.

Where is Vivienne Westwood from?

Vivienne Westwood is a British brand from London. It began in 1971 with a boutique on King's Road in Chelsea, which still trades as Worlds End.

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