After spending a decade working across the British avant-garde fashion industry, Dame Westwood unveiled her first catwalk presentation at London’s Olympia in 1981, and continued to innovate by taking inspiration from 17th and 18th-century art for her designs.
Dame Westwood, who is married to long-term design partner Andreas Kronthaler, has used her collections and shows as a platform to campaign for positive activism, often highlighting the effects of climate change and over-consumption.
Her brand Vivienne is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world, with a focus on creating imaginative and thought-provoking clothing, while raising awareness of environmental and human right issues.