This December, the NGV brings fashion’s original rebels together. A rare chance to explore the disruptive designs of Westwood and Kawakubo side by side.
At the National Gallery of Victoria, fashion’s fiercest provocateurs are finally sharing the spotlight. Opening December 7, “Westwood | Kawakubo” pairs the boundary-pushing designers Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo for the very first time, highlighting parallel visions that shaped, and shook, the fashion establishment.
They emerged simultaneously in 1981, Westwood in London and Kawakubo in Paris, each launching shows titled “Pirate.” While their aesthetics often diverged, their radical approach to design and disregard for convention bound them together. Both self-taught, both relentlessly questioning fashion’s relationship to the body, gender, and society, they refused to settle for easy answers.
Featuring more than 140 designs, the exhibition draws largely from NGV’s expansive collection, bolstered by exceptional loans from the Met’s Costume Institute, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and Palais Galliera in Paris. Recent donations of significant Comme des Garçons pieces will debut here, deepening the story of Kawakubo’s visionary experiments.
Westwood highlights include the original punk-era looks that defined late-’70s London (picture The Sex Pistols), the iconic tartan dress Kate Moss wore for Anglomania, and the unforgettable corseted gown Sarah Jessica Parker chose for Sex and the City: The Movie. Kawakubo’s offerings span from her sculptural gingham “Body Meets Dress” collection to the unforgettable red-carpet look Rihanna wore at the Met Gala.
Curator Katie Somerville has divided the show into distinct yet interconnected themes: provocation, historical references, menswear tailoring, and politics, revealing how both designers harnessed clothing as commentary.
“Westwood | Kawakubo” runs from December 7 to April 19 at NGV International, with an opening gala event scheduled for December 6.
