Vivienne Westwood may be staging a catwalk show, but Scotland — not clothes — is foremost on the designer’s mind.
Never one to shy away from making a political statement, the eccentric 73-year-old used her runway on Sunday to urge Scots to vote ‘Yes’ to breaking away from the United Kingdom in Thursday’s referendum.
Westwood proudly wore a ‘Yes’ badge, and sent her models down the catwalk sporting the same badge prominently on their lapels or hats.
“I am so excited, fingers crossed they will win. Because, if they do, it could be the turning point towards a better world. They could lead by example,” read a statement that was placed on every guest’s seat.
She had stronger words backstage, where she spoke passionately about social injustices and the lack of real democracy in England. She denounced those who support staying in the UK as “frightened and stupid”.
“I hate England. I like Scotland because somehow I think they are better than we are. They are more democratic,” she told reporters.
What about the fashion? Fans and fashionistas know that the Red Label show almost never strays from Westwood’s signature femme fatale style, whatever the latest trends are. There were bustiers, beautifully draped blouses and dresses, micro shorts and saucy outfits that show off the female shape.
Over the past few years, clothes have played second fiddle for Westwood, who is more keen to devote her attention to causes from climate change to campaigning for WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange.
Westwood said she plans to scale down her production and focus on quality over quantity, although she has no plans to retire — if only to continue to use it as a platform for activism.
“It gives me an opportunity to try to say things,” she said. “People do listen because they like to hear people who stick their heads out to say a few things.”
