Vivienne Westwood’s U.S. Flagship Store Opening
The stars were definitely aligned and very well styled at the official fete marking the opening of Vivienne Westwood’s first U.S. flagship store, located in West Hollywood.
The legendary princess of punk, who turns 60 this month, wore a lace floor-length gown for the celebration, which was followed by a private dinner at the Chateau Marmont. Westwood felt right at home in the L.A. music scene, and she and her Austrian-born husband, Andreas Kronthaler, were looking forward to seeing the Getty and attending a concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall while in town.
As Dame Westwood held court on the third floor of her boutique, L.A.’s finest fashionistas and glamazons fluttered past eclectic gems from the new spring collection.
"I don’t think of myself as an artist. I’m a thinker," said Westwood, who began designing during London’s cultural revolution in 1971. "I judge myself by what I think. That’s my idea of personal progress, if I think I’m getting my head together and starting to understand the world more than I did yesterday … You do that through culture, through the past.”
Photo: Getty Images
The storefront of Vivienne Westwood’s new flagship boutique in West Hollywood.
True to form, the guest list included famous faces from every walk of life. Where else can you see Dita Von Teese chatting with Mischa Barton and Kristin Davis alongside a pierced-all-over, Mohawk-sporting Westwood worshipper?
Also at the event: Marilyn Manson, Lady Victoria Hervey, Anna Kendrick, Malin Akerman, Nicola Formichetti, and Christina Hendricks, who models Westwood’s eco-friendly Get a Life Palladium Jewelry Collection.
“[I’ve] been a fan for many years,” the Mad Men star said. “I think it’s amazing how she can be punk rock and couture and everything all at once! It’s rock and roll and beauty and incredibly body conscious and pushing things further than other people have pushed it.”
Ultimately, the crowd’s sentiments echoed those of Barton: “I just came to see Vivienne.”
Long live the Queen …