Op-Ed: Was Vivienne Westwood the last of fashion’s fearless activists?

A look at what the fashion sector can learn from Westwood’s fearless activism. Can the business of fashion ever truly measure up? 

by Meg Pirie

I am curled up on the sofa with my partner watching Vivienne Westwood’s documentary. Although I am aware that I am writing this months after her death, I note that our household took her death pretty hard. Westwood features as the heroine of my six-year-old’s favourite book, and now a commemorative plate by Josephine Dessine hangs proudly on our kitchen wall. I am aware that the closest I have come to meeting her in person was an interview with one of her designers in Liverpool. So, why has this had such an impact? 

A resounding moment in the documentary was when Westwood announced her disgust at how exponentially her brand was growing and her desire to pull some of this growth back. Her emphasis was squarely focused on degrowth, the concept of making less—sod the standard growth model. Famously autonomous, it is no coincidence that Westwood was one of the last independent global fashion brands.

Drawing on the climate crisis, Westwood did not just produce clothes, but also used collaborations and catwalk shows as a platform to promote awareness around our collective impact on the planet—or as Westwood called it ‘Gaia’. A term which climate author James Lovelock suggests connotes earth as a living entity. If we view the planet in this way, it is simpler to see where Westwood’s genuine passion for climate activism stemmed. 

While watching the documentary, I am reminded of a book I read by economist and author Tim Jackson, entitled ‘Prosperity Without Growth’—which argues how unsustainable our present model of economic growth is, not only in straining finite resources, but also causing environmental and social damage globally. While fashion might find the idea of degrowth a radical concept, many scientists would argue this is a prerequisite for meeting necessary climate goals. 

I am aware that I could write at length about all of Westwood’s achievements—her inauguration of the Climate Revolution at the London Paralympics closing ceremony, as well as her campaign ‘SWITCH’ for Serpentine Galleries ‘Back to Earth’ project, rallying the energy sector to switch to green energy, both come to mind.

However, it could be contended that it was her manifesto in 2008 which underpinned much of her climate activism and thought-leadership in this space. Entitled ‘Active Resistance to Propaganda’ —it focuses on the relationship between climate change, consumption, capitalism and art. Part of the manifesto depicts a conversation between a ‘Pirate’ and ‘Active Resistance’ (AR), it reads:

Pirate: ‘Leave everything to me. I plunder for you. Stick with me and you might get a share of the bounty. My name is Progress.’

AR: But you have stolen imagination. There is hardly anyone left now who believes in a better world. What is the future of unlimited profit in a finite world?

In economic terms, progress is often defined by growth, but what Westwood is boldly arguing for here is a change to the ease and conventionality of this model. While there will always be elemental contradictions with any fashion brand applying degrowth strategies, it is the authenticity in which Westwood’s message comes from that is perhaps the most compelling.

And the very fact that we have a choice, is the most powerful call to arms. In simplistic terms, the key takeaway is that large corporations are making a choice everyday to either benefit the planet or not. Climate journalist Naomi Klein would call this lack of action a form of collective ‘amnesia’ and Westwood saw that. 

Activism therefore plays an integral role in shifting the status quo discourse within the sector. This is a topic which Kate Fletcher, Professor at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen and one of the most cited scholars in fashion and sustainability weighs in on. 

Fletcher said: 

"The role that activism plays in challenging the status quo in the fashion sector is always shifting — necessarily so, as the world shifts and as what sort of change is needed, with whom and how fast. 

“Activism provokes, it surprises, it asks the questions that others are often unwilling or unable to ask. Sometimes it acts as I would wish our legislators to, with boldness, vision, with ethical commitment; at others it makes me laugh, and at others still it provokes shame and discomfort.

“It is usually uncompromising and it is perhaps this purity that give it its power for change.”

The tides are turning 

From a climate perspective, every sector has a responsibility to focus on meaningful and purposeful actions that enable the goal of halving our collective emissions by 2030. The latest ‘State of Fashion 2022’ report highlights that more than ever, fashion companies will need to collaborate together to catalyse change. The report calls for business leaders in the sector to increase awareness of both the social and environmental impacts created from a product’s inception through to its end-of-life. Further, it suggests embedding a climate strategy as a core part of the corporate strategy and in doing so, remaining conscious that there is a competitive advantage in leading in this space. 

It is worth noting that consumer behaviour has notably changed course over the years, and in a recent survey by Deloitte, 52% of consumers were cited to value longevity, as well as a growing propensity in consumers choosing brands based on their sustainability and ethical practices. This symbiotically plays into Westwood’s ethos of, “Buy Less, Choose Better, Make it Last.”

While the name Vivienne Westwood will forever be synonymous with her collections, what Westwood modelled over the years was that clothes are not inconsequential. Instead she viewed them as instruments with an ability to reveal our innermost relationships with ourselves and others, our ongoing connections to the environment or towards the government. 

While the changes that brands must focus on to instil change are multifaceted, they are essential in securing the future of the sector, requiring fearless and bold leaders. This requires a pivot from tailoring short-term sustainability initiatives, and looking instead at long-term solutions in this space. 

All of which begs the question—can we call Westwood the last of fashion’s fearless activists? Drawing on this, perhaps the question to this piece is in fact rhetorical. Brands have a choice to measure up, and that is in fact her legacy. 

You can watch our CEO, Tamara Cincik discuss Westwood’s passing on BBC News and also CGTN Europe. Click here.