Vivienne Westwood, Giles Deacon and Manolo Blahnik explain the
thinking behind their exclusive Stylist covers
his year, the frisson of excitement surrounding London
Fashion Week is palpable. It goes far deeper than the
thrill of buying new clothes. With the global recession and
T politicians finally taking climate change seriously, people
want a vision that reflects a more considered approach to
life. Stylist talked to three very different fashion icons united by one
mission: to make our world a brighter, better and more meaningful place.
Britain’s first lady of punk, Vivienne Westwood, eclectic-eccentric Giles
Deacon and shoe king Manolo Blahnik, talk us through their covers.
Where did you get the inspiration
for your cover for Stylist?
A couple of years ago I read an
interview with a man called James
Lovelock. He said climate change is
going to get so bad that by the end
of this century there will only be
one billion people left on earth.
The world will get so hot it will be
uninhabitable. It’s a theory called Gaia,
and it really worried me. So I decided
to use my fashion to get across this
message that we have to get engaged
with the world we live in and do
something to stop its destruction.
The cover really makes a statement…
Well I’d like people to cut it out, put
it in a plastic sheet and pin it on
themselves – as if you were just about
to run a marathon. Or put a picture
of your baby or your boyfriend,
“LOOKING AT
MY COVER
MAKES ME SMILE”
VIVIENNE
WESTWOOD
Westwood has been at the cutting edge of style for 39 years. Here she
reveals the politics behind her cover (and why she wants you to wear it)
WORDS: HELEN BOWNASS AND AMY GRIER
or something that you see in the
newspaper that you think is funny.
I want people to focus on ‘do it
yourself’, and recycling clothes to make
them last. Stop buying so many clothes,
and when you do, choose well.
Is that how you
dress, too?
Yes, I wear lots of my
old things. I like them
just as much as the
things I design today.
Clothes look nicer
the older they get.
I’m not an acquisitive
person; I get one or
two things. I don’t
need any more
because I can’t
do better
than that.
COVER STARS
REBEL WITH A CAUSE: WESTWOOD
IS HIGHLIGHTING A DIY AND
TIMELESS ETHIC OF DRESSING
WWW.STYLIST.CO.UK 27
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