There’s nothing black and white about Vivienne Westwood. She’s an explosion of color — visually, verbally, virtually.

Our visit with her this past spring in her rococo couture maison on Conduit Street in London was our second meeting.

The first time was in Germany in 1999, during the "FiFi" Ceremonies. Watching her sashay to the stage to accept her Packaging Award for her launch fragrance, Boudoir, was a little like being in the presence of a very modern version of Mae West.

"Vivienne Westwood is widely acknowledged not only as one of Britain’s most important fashion designers, but one of the most influential designers in the world."

—Simon Thurley,
Director, Museum of London

Dressed in vintage Vivienne Westwood, she cut a dashing figure. It was apparent to us then, and even more so on this visit, that the essence of Vivienne Westwood defies description. The more you know about her life and times, it becomes crystal clear that she is and always has been, an original personality, talent and public citizen, in every sense of the word. From her legendary romp in the 70s with Malcolm McLaren, when they discovered the Teddy Boys and became hippies themselves, they were determined to change the world. "The important thing" Ms. Westwood recalls, "is that we wanted to make a stand against the American involvement in the Vietnam War and in the process be part of the youth rebellion." They did and, as we all know, it was the beginning of generations looking back and evaluating their own lifetime’s culture. Nostalgia was the rage, and for Vivienne still is.

Not to say things were easy for Vivienne. In the 60s, she taught school to make a living but took time off to have two sons. In need of money, she went back to teaching, eked out a living and finally gave up and went to live with her mother in Wales. "We lived in a tiny 4-wheel box-like thing made of wood that attached to the car. We parked it at the beach so my children could benefit from the sea air. Eventually, I went back to teaching — but it was mostly on and off.

"What changed our lives forever was when Malcolm had the idea to sell rock ‘n roll records to trendy customers. No one ever heard rock ‘n roll on the radio at the time. We not only discovered the appeal of the records, but the 2nd wave of Teddy Boys who were creating their own excitement in the East End.

"She was the first to bring British street style to the catwalk and pave the way for the next generation of British designers. Her avant garde designs have had a lasting influence among her peers."

—Simon Thurley

"We were looking for a market stall to sell these records, but couldn’t find one. There was a little shop, however, on Kings Road that was going bust. It was the first shop that sold used denim, but nobody was into it. The owners invited us to have a bit of their shop. We moved into the back, made it into a little 50s sitting room and started to sell the records. We had an immediate success. For one thing, these Teddy Boys were thrilled to buy the records.

"The Teddy Boys hung out in the shop and soon we started to make clothes for them. First the designs were unisex and then we created clothes for women and young girls. "We based the look on rock ‘n roll right from the beginning. Even though it was the 70s, we found old stocks of clothes that had never been worn from the 50s and took them apart. I started to teach myself how to make clothes from that kind of formula. In the 1980s, the shop lease was up and I didn’t know whether to renew it. By that time I saw copies of my clothes on the Paris catwalks. I had to think about what to do. We didn’t have much money, but I knew I had ideas. I thought it would be stupid to stop. I was still interested in the youth rebellion but never-the-less I stopped being a victim. Stopped trying to attack the establishment realizing that it takes too much of your energy."

Still, Vivienne was committed to young people and the idea of being modern pirates who longed to plunder history.

"We wanted to step off our island and add the color of the third world. We got gold cigarette paper and stuck it around our teeth. We really did look like pirates and dressed to look the part."

Vivienne dyed her hair auburn and wore it in ringlets. She started to draw little tattoos on her face – gold freckles and all kind of other objects. "I was the first person to have a punk rock hairstyle" she boasts and "I’ve had an awful lot of influence on make-up."

"I would have liked very early on to have had financial backing and help with production — but it didn’t exist in England."

"But, the thing is, since I always had my own little shop and direct access to the public, I’ve been able to build up a technique without marketing people ever telling me what the public wants. I’m the only designer who is completely self-financed. So, I’ve been able to build up the skill which, after 30 years, I’m still defining and refining."

"I think some people would love to be able to make the clothes I make — and of course, I do influence them, but they keep simplifying, and minimalism doesn’t quite work.

"I get more and more uncopiable regarding particular garments. In the end, I am a couturier, a designer who is comfortable doing street fashion and a couturier who has a maison where I do made-to-measure couture clothes." When we talked about her entry into the fragrance world she explained, "when you get to a certain point you must have a fragrance — it puts you at a certain level in the market. I’d done a fragrance before, but in a small way, and now I wanted to wait for the right time to make an important fragrance statement.

"I’m in fashion since 1970, so it did take a very long time.

"But, having a perfume and license, in general, is a financial necessity. A designer must, to reap back the money spent on prototypes and all that sort of thing."

In planning for a fragrance, Vivienne turned to her best friend for guidance and inspiration. "He’s quite a bit older – but knows an awful lot about gardening, cooking and plants. I was walking down the street with him one day and he picked this flower. ‘Oh, wait!’ he called out. ‘Smell this. Nobody has ever used this in perfume.’ It was complex and fascinating. Once I began to work with a nose (the perfumer) I learned that the process is long and complicated. To finish it off, that’s what took the time. I learned how easily things disintegrate. It really is a matter of trial and error. Things can go ordinary or nonexistent.

"It’s a different thing altogether than when you are using your eyes and body language to create clothes. You can adjust. I wanted something that was really rounded and finished. It is extremely difficult to say how long the process actually took to finally achieve my fragrance, Boudoir, because there was a lot of time waiting around for other people. Honestly, I think my friend was the first to recognize when we got it right. We were working with Martin Graf, the perfumer at Dragoco, and together we all finally achieved what I think is a very beautiful fragrance. The bottle was easy. Of course, you have to get that right as well. Things come back to you as far as the lettering and color are concerned but for us to design the bottle and the package, frankly that was easy. We knew we wanted to use the orb as a cap. Essentially, the bottle acts as a pedestal for the cap."

When we talked about the orb, Vivienne explained she just discovered it by chance one day. " I was in Italy looking for basic fabrics and started to work with Harris tweed and I decided to do a really kitsch collection based on very, very English things. The orb came about because I wanted to do this kitsch sweater for Prince Charles when he went hunting and fishing with his kilt on. The sweater had symbols like lions rampant to the heraldry rose from England, the Shamrock from Ireland, the thistle from Scotland and somewhere in the sky of the design was this orb, which I put a satellite around to give it a futuristic look because the whole thing looked a bit computeristic. My manager, Carlos, said to me ‘that should be your symbol.’ I didn’t realize it, but then he strengthened his whole position by saying ‘it’s a combination of tradition and future.’"

And speaking of the future, Vivenne made it very clear that she feels good about being able to offer people a choice in this age of minimalism. She said the same thing is true about her perfume. "Boudoir to me" she said, "is light with certain notes which are very sensual. But, in my opinion, even the word light doesn’t have any meaning."

I guess when she talks about her belief that art has become a part of business, it certainly is true in her case. At the very moment we were meeting, an exhibition had opened at the Museum of London featuring a retrospective of her design. It was quite extraordinary in that it belonged to Romilly McAlpin, the former contributing editor to English Vogue and America’s Harper’s Bazaar. She is married to Lord McAlpin, former treasurer of the conservative party, and is a keen collector and writer. In the forward, the director of the museum Simon Thurley wrote, "Vivienne Westwood is widely acknowledged not only as one of Britain’s most important fashion designers, but one of the most influential designers in the world. She was the first to bring British street style to the catwalk and pave the way for the next generation of British designers. Her avant garde designs have had a lasting influence among her peers."

The exhibition didn’t simply show the work of a single important collector, it documented a range of people who wear the Westwood clothes in London — men and women, old and young, students, clubbers, shop assistants, socialites and businesswomen. In 1995, Vivienne was quoted as saying, "I do believe that my clothes are a criticism of mediocrity and orthodoxy." You could say the same thing in a way about her attitude concerning everything she does.

Her desire to introduce a lighter fragrance was realized over the summer, and in the fall of 2001, her newest fragrance design, Libertine, was introduced.

The wonders of Vivenne Westwood never seem to cease. She brings such a sharp edge and panache to the perfume scene. What more can weI say, but "Viva, Vivienne!"