Vivienne Westwood is big in Asia. No, scratch that, Vivienne Westwood is worshipped, adored, obsessed by many people in Asia. I have reverence and respect for what she has achieved and I may not love every single one of her collections, the aesthetic and signature style that she has nurtured is something that I love. What I don’t understand however, is the frantic desire to buy copious amounts of accessories and paraphanalia simply because it has a Vivienne Westwood orb on it. I found these pics in an issue of Japanese magazine Cutie, with each girl showing her Westwood wares. Sure, the jewellery is pretty but a cardigan or a plaid shirt with an embroidered orb is hardly design genius. The problem I think is that this cult of Westwood has forced the design house to expand into souvenirs/memorabilia in such a way that it starts to lose credibility. This is not really the case in Europe as the focus is really on the beautiful clothes, Vivienne Westwood’s legacy and her contribution to British fashion and quite rightly so. However, in Asia, it’s about the multitude of forms that the orb takes shape be it slapped on a perfume bottle, a bag, a silk scarf, hell a water bottle!?!
Are these girls buying in Westwood for the right reasons? In the West, we don’t associate Vivienne Westwood with logomania like we do with Louis Vuitton and Gucci etc. but in Asia, this really is the case. I just see this craze as a runaway train heading for a nasty end. I just hope the essence of Westwood’s design is there somewhere, hidden under the thousands of orbs.
That’s pretty funny, because Vivienne Westwood, though I’ve heard of her, is really not that huge around here.. I never even knew the orb was her ‘signature’ thing — but I do like it a lot. especially that bangle in the bottom left. Ooh.
She’s not very huge in Singapore though. I think many asians are so preoccupied with monograms and labels…sigh.
i think it is because she is really “english” in an oldschool regal but also oldschool punk way. just like japanese are into americana too. that is my uninformed opinion.
I never really thought of Vivienne Westwood as being adored in Asia. But it makes sense now since when I was in a fashion chain store in Taiwan- I saw a variety of colored tanks with the words “Vivienne Westwood” emblazened largely across the fronts. (of course, not actually vivenne westwood apparel)
Viv Westwood is really really big in Asian countries, even more so in the past 5 years because of the Japanese manga NANA, which has been one of the top selling shojo manga in japanese manga history^^
yeah, i think nana had a pretty big part in it. also, ive actually seen that black blazer with the red heart-forming lapels in NANA once.
NANA has a HUGE part in it, almost all the characters have a vivienne orb on them somewhere, often they’re wearing whole vivienne collections on them i swear :o) i never used to be much into her, kinda viewed her as a punk who sold out (moved on whatever) but NANA re-kindled some love for her in me. vivienne should really pay ai yazawa royalties!