Vivienne Westwood defined the fashion aesthetic of London's punk movement in the 1970s – think safety pins, studs and tartan – and helped create the iconic look of the Sex Pistols.
Fur-Free Fashion as a Pioneering Achievement
But long after the heyday of punk, the edgy British designer continued to push fashion forward. In 2007, before vegan couture went mainstream, Westwood banned fur from her collections after learning about the suffering animals must endure before being used for fur coats, collars and cuffs.
Westwood's fur ban went hand in hand with her commitment to environmental issues and her demand for genuine sustainability in the fashion industry. Most animals killed for fur today are raised in factory farms that produce tens of thousands of tonnes of waste every year, and fur clothing is treated with a mixture of toxic chemicals to prevent decomposition – making fur neither kind nor sustainable.
Westwood's innovative, animal-friendly accessories – such as the fur-free Derby Bag and the Jungle Crocodile Bag – have received multiple awards at the annual Vegan Fashion Awards.
Commitment to the Environment and Sustainability
Several years after removing fur from her collections, Dame Vivienne stripped down to a shower cap for a provocative PETA video about the meat industry's exploitation of the world's water supplies. “I am an eco-warrior, but I shower with a clear conscience because I am a vegetarian,” she said in the spot, released in 2014. An article in the New York Times noted at the time that producing one tonne of beef requires 15 million litres of water, compared to just 321’760 litres to produce one tonne of vegetables. “If you give up meat, you do more for the environment than through recycling or driving a hybrid car,” said Westwood.
When she spoke out against throwaway fashion, Westwood urged consumers: «Invest in the world. Don’t invest in fashion, invest in the world.» Her distinctive,animal-friendly clothes and accessories prove that we can do both.
| You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan. |
