Tartan and bright colours celebrate Vivienne Westwood at her memorial service


By AGENCY

A guest arrives for a memorial service to honour and celebrate the life of Dame Vivienne Westwood at Southwark Cathedral, in London. Photo: AP

Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Stormzy were among the famous faces who attended a memorial service for the late fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood in London.

Many guests styled themselves in classic Westwood fashion, with tartan designs and colourful, bold tailoring on display at the service which was held at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday (Feb 16).

Westwood, who was recognised as a punk legend, environmental activist and designer extraordinaire, died aged 81 in December.

Former Spice Girl and designer Beckham wore a skintight black dress with a high neck, long sleeves and a leg slit for the service, while British Vogue editor Edward Enninful dressed in an all-black suit and blazer ensemble.

Helena Bonham Carter. Photo: APHelena Bonham Carter. Photo: APVictoria Beckham. Photo: APVictoria Beckham. Photo: AP

Read more: Vivienne Westwood, punk queen turned fashion dame, dies at 81

Supermodel Moss donned a black dress with a floral design and a black blazer and her daughter Lila Grace Moss Hack paired her outfit with a Westwood red bag.

Actress Helena Bonham Carter, who has worn Dame Vivienne's punk stylings at many events and red carpets, paid tribute to the late designer in a red and purple full tartan skirt and blazer set paired with a Westwood pearl necklace.

Rapper Stormzy was also in attendance in an all-black suit and shirt combination as was artist Tracey Emin who wore a dark-coloured long coat and tartan scarf.

Emin became a long-standing friend of Westwood after meeting at a Vogue shoot in the summer of 1999 with the artist later saying that "within days" she had become her "muse".

Actress Elle Fanning was also spotted heading into the service in an all-black ensemble with a matching pillar-box hat.

The US star collaborated with the fashion designer on many occasions, with Westwood styling the 24-year-old in a custom pink corset-style dress for the Independent Spirit Awards in 2021.

Singer Paloma Faith wore a purple jumper under a rust, floral-patterned dress with red shoes while Mad Men actress Christina Hendricks dressed in a navy and black checked coat-dress for the service.

Paloma Faith. Photo: APPaloma Faith. Photo: APBob Geldof. Photo: ReutersBob Geldof. Photo: Reuters

Actress Dame Vanessa Redgrave was also in attendance in a camel coat and hat alongside her daughter, actress Joely Richardson, who matched in a camel and black suit over a lime green top.

Presenter Jonathan Ross opted for a black trench coat and blue jumper, Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie wore a classic black suit, as did fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu and Babs actress Jaime Winstone donned a black fitted dress paired with black lace-up platforms.

US singer-songwriter Beth Ditto, fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, singer Bob Geldof, Australian singer Nick Cave and his fashion designer wife Susie Cave, designer Matty Bovan and model Lorraine Pascale were also among the guests.

Westwood emerged on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan T-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.

Read more: Vivienne Westwood remembered as 'revolutionary and rebellious fashion force'

She continued to break boundaries throughout her career and was responsible for some of fashion's most famous designs – including her take on the corset, the "mini-crini" – a shortened version of the Victorian crinoline dress – and Carrie Bradshaw's bridal dress in the 2008 Sex And The City film.

Elle Fanning. Photo: APElle Fanning. Photo: APKate Moss. Photo: ReutersKate Moss. Photo: Reuters

The designer also made a name for herself as an activist, staging public protests to raise awareness around causes close to her heart.

In 1992, she famously wore a perfectly tailored skirt suit with a grey matching hat while collecting her OBE. The outfit might have been demure, but she soon started twirling for photographers – only to reveal she was not wearing any knickers underneath.

She returned to Buckingham Palace in 2006 to be made a dame, and was once again without underwear – but she refrained from doing any twirling this time. – dpa

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