The new exhibition opened at SJM’s Grand Lisboa Palace Resort this week, with guests like Miyeon of I-dle and Anson Lo from Mirror in tow.
Widely regarded as Britain’s most influential fashion designer, the late Vivienne Westwood is often remembered as much for her jewellery as for her clothes. It was 1986 when her now-iconic brand logo, The Orb, was born, inspired by British royal insignia but infused with Westwood’s signature rebellious touch. Today, her version of the royal orb, adorned with the rings of Saturn, is a house staple adorning choker necklaces and other punk jewellery pieces, like talismans representing the designer’s all-encompassing creative universe.
Long before Westwood made a name for herself in fashion, in fact, she studied silversmithing at London’s Harrow Art School and sold handmade jewellery at the Portobello Road Market. The “mother of punk” and her extensive archive of jewellery designs are the focus of a celebrated exhibition, “Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery”, which opened at Macau’s Grand Lisboa Palace Resort this week, following successful stops in Shanghai and Chengdu. Westwood’s well-documented activist streak takes on new meaning when viewed in this context; while she often used fashion as a platform for subverting social norms, nowhere are her contrarian ways and idiosyncratic point of view more apparent than in her jewellery.
Dissecting that legacy into eight thematic chapters, each of which is curated to focus on a specific idea, emblem or time period that defined Westwood’s work, the exhibition appeals to more than just average fashion enthusiasts. Fans and practitioners of artisanal crafts, ancient history and art history buffs, and anyone with remote interest in pop culture will find plenty of spectacular references throughout the exhibition, from accessories inspired by and created with indigenous African artists to original renditions of Hellenistic-style jewellery from ancient Greece and a pair of cherub earrings adorned with pearls, made for and worn by Katy Perry during her performance at King Charles’ coronation in 2023.
The breadth of designs on display speaks to Westwood’s continued hold on the public imagination even years after her passing in 2022. Origins focuses on those early years during which her unorthodox views and growing affinity for the punk movement first started to take shape, while Parure illustrates her long-lasting admiration of the Age of Enlightenment, when intellectualism was on the rise and 18th century art and aesthetics began challenging previously held traditions. Do It Yourself, as the name suggests, shines the spotlight on Westwood’s upcycled jewellery pieces, an ode to her environmental activism and penchant for finding beauty in unexpected combinations, from floral pieces made with Perrier water bottle caps to cola can necklaces.
The exhibition also marks the first time the designer’s runway and archival jewellery are being shown as a singular collection. At the opening ceremony for the exhibition hosted by SJM Resorts on Tuesday, stars like Miyeon of K-pop group I-dle and Anson Lo from Hong Kong boy band Mirror were among the esteemed guests invited to explore this comprehensive tribute to Westwood and look at her storied career in a new light. “It’s far different from the traditional jewellery I’ve seen,” said Lo, picking a teddy bear necklace from the whimsical Wonderland section of the exhibition as his favourite. “It’s more playful, colourful, and very fun.”
No designers were able to envision a link between the past and present, from 18th century gothic romance to the 1970s punk movement, as clearly as Westwood. Her bejewelled skulls and bones, for example, look as good styled on a mannequin dressed in Wuthering Heights-inspired 18th century corsetry as they do on modern-day goth girls dressed in head-to-toe leather. Getting up close and personal with these pieces, very much emblematic of the regal punk dichotomy she became famous for, is a rare opportunity to engage with fashion history on both an approachable and nuanced level. While mixing high and low aesthetics and experimenting with various subcultures in the same outfit is nothing groundbreaking today, we largely owe this approach to Westwood, who was one of the first to embrace this kind of contrast in design. She famously quoted philosopher Bertrand Russell, who said, “Orthodoxy is the grave of intelligence.”
Westwood pioneered the way women get dressed in more ways than one. Known for innovations like the zippered corset from her fall/winter 1987 collection – which turned a once-restrictive garment into something liberating and empowering, yet still sensual – Westwood’s jewellery made from repurposed everyday objects like safety pins and house keys also illuminates her forward-thinking mindset. While sustainability is now a hot topic for many designers, Westwood was thinking about it long before it became a trend and she certainly managed to make it look cool, too. In conjunction with the exhibition, SJM Resorts has built on this heritage by offering a series of Westwood-inspired experiences tailored to inspire the next generation, including a student seminar and design competition.
In that sense, the exhibition isn’t just a static assortment of Westwood’s greatest hits, but rather a moving, living tribute to the designer’s eco-friendly philosophy and desire to rebel against the system always, be it fashion industry norms or sociopolitical structures. Westwood herself seemed to describe her legacy best. Upholding that mantle in the present day is Andreas Kronthaler, the designer’s long-time partner in work and in life, who has continued on as creative director of her brand. Attending the exhibition’s opening ceremony in Macau, Kronthaler recited one of Westwood’s most famous quotes when asked to sum up the exhibition and reflect on its impact. “It’s the best thing she ever said – take it to heart. Buy less, choose well and make it last. And get a life.”
