Vivienne Westwood and the ‘Anglomania’ Collection
Vivienne Westwood’s journey into fashion was unconventional. She was born into a British middle-class family, she did not initially set out to become a designer. In interviews and documentaries she admits that she had no burning desire for the fashion world. She simply discovered that she was good at it and had something to say (British Vogue, 2014). This raw, instinctive approach would define her career as one of the most influential figures in fashion.
In Autumn/Winter 1993 the Anglomania collection came out, and it was shown on March 16, 1993 in Paris. The collection was created with her partner Andreas Kronthaler, and it was a fusion of historic British and Scottish elements with contemporary punk aesthetics (Muthmainnah, 2020).The Anglomania collection was heavily inspired by Scottish heritage and British royal fashion from the 17th century. It featured kilts, tartan fabrics, sporrans, and structured corsets inspired by earlier centuries; But these were not nostalgic homages. Westwood made the clothes into something new and radical by combining them with punk symbols such as platform heels and safety pin piercings (Dazed, 2015). This fusion gave the collection a layered message. On one hand, it celebrated British identity, on the other it questioned it. Westwood made cultural and political commentary through her clothes. .
Vivienne Westwood’s Anglomania collection remains a powerful example of how fashion can serve as both art and critique. By fusing the past with the rebellious present, Westwood didn’t just design garments: she questioned authority, and made her legacy as a revolutionary voice in fashion.
References
British Vogue. (2014, September 26). Vivienne Westwood: Seven things you didn’t know.
Dazed. (2015, April 30). Vivienne Westwood’s style evolution: From punk to Anglomania.
Muthmainnah, A. (2020, March 14). Vivienne Westwood A/W 1993 ‘Anglomania’. Medium.
Vogue Runway. (1993, March 16). Vivienne Westwood Ready-to-Wear Fall/Winter 1993.
The 1993 autumn winter Ready-to-Wear collection ‘Anglomania’, which was showcased in Paris Fashion Week, 16th of March 1993
The collection was heavily influenced by Scottish culture and the Elizabethan era silhouette.
She successfully diffused Scottish traditional garments such as the kilt, tartan, and sporran, with 17th century British historic silhouette, such as the boned corset, and her iconic punk influenced pieces such as platform heels and safety pins piercings.
Vivienne Westwood A/W 1993 ‘Anglomania’ | by Alifa Muthmainnah | Medium
The movie and her framework
British, middleclass, no burning desire to become a designer, she just realised she was good at it and she obviously had something to say
thoughts during documentary
man: one guy who didnt give her enough intelectual challenging, andreas Kronthaler
two kids, seems like she can be lovely but shes very direct, her idea and vision seems to take over in certain moments.
She is punk. Was there in the start of the movement
