Mood board: On Friday, the UK’s schoolchildren marched from schools to protest political inaction on climate change. Throughout fashion week, the environmentalist group Extinct Rebellion is peacefully protesting unsustainable practices used in the luxury industry. Vivienne Westwood is well versed in environmental issues and uses her label to bolster awareness on sociopolitical issues, from freedom of speech to fracking.
Her A/W 2019 runway show, held at a resplendent church in Westminster’s St John Smith’s Square, was her most polemical to date. The catwalk show featured apocalyptic and impassioned spoken sermons on climate change, Brexit, corrupt governments and our spin into self-destruction. ‘Something has to happen now. If not, we’re all dead’ said the first mic'd-up male model who opened the show. It was a stirring start to a politically poignant and rousing event.
Team work: Westwood’s show concept usurped the idea of the mute model, with some akin to political performance art. Hers stood proudly on stage delivering, at times, uncomfortable comments to the audience. ‘The world is bankrupt’ one stated. On the rousing roster? #MeToo activist actress Rose McGowan, John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, Fred Harrison, author and policy advisor and model, actress and activist Sara Stockbridge.
Best in show: ‘Vivienne does the best trousers’ one male model confided to the audience. The collection that accompanied her show’s statement speeches was a testament to this, and featured the greatest hits of her signature pieces: check and tartan tailoring, draped gowns, protest T-shirts and knitwear. Cue ironic accessories too. An ‘I heart crap’ tote bag bolstered Westwood’s anti-fast fashion message. ‘Buy less, choose more’ was a lasting missive from the show.
Vivienne Westwood A/W 2019.
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Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFar from slowing down for the festive season, the Wallpaper* team is in full swing, hopping from events to openings this week. But when your job is chasing the pulse of culture, work can feel like play – and we also had time for some festive cocktails and cinematic releases
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The Barbican is undergoing a huge revamp. Here’s what we knowThe Barbican Centre is set to close in June 2028 for a year as part of a huge restoration plan to future-proof the brutalist Grade II-listed site
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A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
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‘Architect of glamour’ Antony Price makes a high-voltage return to the runway with 16ArlingtonFeaturing a runway debut from Lily Allen, the show saw legendary designer Antony Price – best known for outfitting Roxy Music in the 1980s – unite with 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo on the sensual after-dark collection
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‘Dirty Looks’ at the Barbican explores how fashion designers have found beauty in dirt and decayFrom garments buried in River Thames mud to those torn, creased and stained, ‘Dirty Looks’ is a testament to how ‘creativity and new artistic practices can come out of decay’, its curators tell Dal Chodha
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Tyler Mitchell’s London show explores the figure of the Black Dandy, ‘imagining what else masculinity could look like’Originally part of a visual essay to accompany the Met’s ‘Superfine’ 2025 Costume Institute exhibition, ‘Portrait of the Modern Dandy’ goes on display at Gagosian Burlington Arcade in London this week
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Inside Louis Vuitton’s Murakami London pop-up, a colourful cartoon wonderland with one-of-a-kind caféWallpaper* takes a tour of the Louis Vuitton x Murakami pop-up in London’s Soho, which celebrates the launch of a new ‘re-edition’ accessories collection spanning the greatest hits from the Japanese artist’s long-running collaboration with the house
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Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UKAs A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
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Margaret Howell London Fashion Week Women's S/S 2019 -
London Fashion Week S/S 2023: Ahluwalia to Martine RoseThough slimmed-down, London Fashion Week nonetheless provided the moments of creative expression the city is known for – from Ahluwalia’s ode to Africa to Martine Rose’s much-anticipated runway return
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Discover these fashion brands at London Craft WeekDuring London Craft Week, fashion brands including Smythson, Bally and Serapian are hosting events across the capital
