The Vivienne Westwood exhibition at The Bowes Museum in County Durham is entering its final two weeks, closing on September 6. The blockbuster show, titled 'Vivienne Westwood: Rebel - Storyteller - Visionary', opened in March and has attracted many visitors to the museum in Barnard Castle.
Exhibition Highlights
The display features around 40 outfit ensembles created between the 1980s and 2000, some never shown before, reflecting the designer's energy and rebellious nature. The exhibits are arranged chronologically across multiple galleries of the museum, which is styled after a 17th-century French chateau and also houses the 1773 Silver Swan mechanical masterpiece.
Set out like an 'atelier' with catwalk touches, the show includes calico 'toiles', practice pattern versions, and garments digitally deconstructed by Northumbria University's fashion department, revealing techniques like bias-cutting, pleating, screen-printing, and distressing of fabrics.
Additional Attractions
Alongside the outfits, there are accessories, jewellery, and items from private collector Peter Smithson, whose first introduction to Westwood's work was seeing a man in a suit with tartan trousers. Historic objects from the museum's collection, such as gilded mirror frames, are also on display.
Three flags designed by Northumberland artist Meg Fletcher accompany the exhibition, capturing Westwood's spirit and visual legacy, along with the pioneering vision of museum co-founder Joséphine Bowes.
Final Events
A 'Spotlight' tour, led by curator Rachel Whitworth, will take place on September 3 at 11am, included in the museum admission price. This is the final event in a series complementing the exhibition.
