Challenging Conformity: Westwood and Kawakubo's Enduring Impact

Stephen Jones, a London milliner, collaborated with Vivienne Westwood on her late 1980s Harris Tweed collection. Four decades later, Jones assisted in curating a double-header exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), honoring the work of Dame Vivienne Westwood and Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. Jones described the work of both women as "life-changing," noting their significant influence on fashion during their era.

Designers' Contrasting Styles and Shared Spirit

Westwood and Kawakubo presented distinct approaches to fashion. Westwood's early designs, earning her the "Godmother of Punk" title, featured bold and rebellious elements such as bondage pants, tartan, and radical changes like raw seams or wearing bras as outerwear. She was also an outspoken social commentator and activist until her death in 2022.

Kawakubo, the founder of Comme des Garçons, is known for her elusive nature and refusal to explain her designs, stating:

"You have to know me through the clothes."

Her works in the exhibition feature headless mannequins, distorted silhouettes, and dark colors, emphasizing drape and unusual placement, often resembling sculpture. She debuted her all-black, distressed fabric collections in Paris in 1981, initially termed "Hiroshima Chic."

Despite their aesthetic differences, the exhibition highlights a common underlying philosophy: a shared heart for challenging conformity. Westwood explicitly aimed to:

"destroy the word 'conformity'"

...through her designs, transforming traditional silhouettes with irreverent twists. Kawakubo, while stating she "never intended to start a revolution," introduced notions of strength and beauty different from prevailing trends. Westwood once described Kawakubo as "a punk at heart."

Legacy and Impact

Both designers pushed back against conventional fashion norms. Kawakubo challenged the emphasis on the female form, creating clothes that:

"did not exist before"

...with distorted silhouettes and unexpected padding. Adrian Joffe, CEO of Comme des Garçons International and Kawakubo's husband, noted that a key element of their designs was "ignoring" gender, characterizing it as not listening to rules.

Joffe stated that Kawakubo and Westwood respected each other's work due to their bravery in breaking rules and attempting new things, both as women. He identified a shared:

"anti-establishment, don't worry about what people think: that punk spirit."

The exhibition demonstrates the power of their work, moving between various moods and styles, from brash and charged to soft and structured. Jones emphasized that both women created art and established a standard for alternative paths in fashion, leaving an extreme impact on individual expression and potentially inspiring young people to tell their own stories through clothing.

The "Westwood | Kawakubo" exhibition is scheduled to run at the National Gallery of Victoria until April 19.