Sweater

spring/summer 1983

Not on view

Vivienne Westwood's "Kitchen Sink cardigan" from her spring/summer 1983 Punkature collection (a combination of "punk" and "couture") blends various motives of the everyday into a garment with a signature Westwood DIY stamp. In a time of nuclear unrest, she experimented with ideas of being thrown back into a primordial age, or what one's wardrobe would look like after a nuclear war. She therefore artificially assumed an anarchic, autodidact position in order to "start over" and use what was available, such as Vim scouring powder lids .The simple, almost shapeless, structure of the garment attests to the designer going back to an innocent state before she knew any tailoring techniques. The jacket's punk-inflected DIY ethos is blended with domestic techniques and materials, such as hand-dyed canvas and patchwork pockets.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Sweater
Designer: Vivienne Westwood (British, 1941–2022)
Designer: Malcolm McLaren (British, London 1946–2010 Switzerland)
Date: spring/summer 1983
Culture: British
Medium: cotton, metal
Credit Line: Purchase, Gould Family Foundation Gift, in memory of Jo Copeland, 2018
Object Number: 2018.453
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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