The fashion world lost another icon on Thursday when Vivienne Westwood, one of the original architects of punk fashion, passed away at the age of 81.
Westwood’s fashion brand shared the grief news of her death on social media, writing that she died “peacefully and surrounded by her family” in South London.
“Vivienne kept doing the things she loved, until the last minute, designing, working on her art, writing her book and changing the world for the better,” the Instagram caption read. “She led a great life. Its innovation and impact over the past 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.”
Shortly after the news, celebrities across the spectrum – from fashion to entertainment – took to social media to pay tribute to the pioneering fashion designer, who rose to fame alongside the Sex Pistols in the 1970s.
Juliette Lewis posted a photo of Westwood in a white button-down that read, “Be reasonable. Demand the impossible” and recalled a conversation the two had about music and economic sustainability. “She always created for the future by looking fearless and seeing [sic] in the now,” wrote Lewis. “She not only questioned the prevailing age and beauty standards. She did not even see or acknowledge that they had anything to do with the relevance and necessity for individualistic aesthetic expression.”
Jeremy O. Harris praised Westwood for challenging people to use fashion as “an extension of our politics” and thanked her for “teaching us so much while also making us beautiful”.
Read more tributes below.
