Sweater
"Vivienne struck an odd combination of the dominatrix and pantomime principal boy in leather jodhpurs, or tiny leather miniskirt with appliquéd motorcycle badges, a thick American leather jacket, fluffy mohair sweater and little pointy booties. With her spiky, white-peroxided hair and pale skin providing a neutral background for her luscious purple lips, she was simply stunning" (Nils Stevenson, Vacant: A Diary of the Punk Years, 1976–79 [New York, 1999], p. 15).
Common mohair sweaters had been seen everywhere in London since the 1950s, but Westwood made her own version with a looser knit and bolder, asymmetrical color blocks that was decidedly different from the predictable stripes and colors of past decades.
Common mohair sweaters had been seen everywhere in London since the 1950s, but Westwood made her own version with a looser knit and bolder, asymmetrical color blocks that was decidedly different from the predictable stripes and colors of past decades.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sweater
- Designer: Vivienne Westwood (British, 1941–2022)
- Designer: Malcolm McLaren (British, London 1946–2010 Switzerland)
- Retailer: Seditionaries (British, 1976–1980)
- Date: 1976–80
- Culture: British
- Medium: wool
- Credit Line: Gift of Barbara and Gregory Reynolds, 1985
- Object Number: 1985.375.7
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.