THE STORY
After joining forces with the manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, in the 1970’s, Vivienne Westwood has forged a career spanning 50 years which has delivered new-wave fashion and modern punk into the streets of England.
Throughout the decades, her brand purpose has always remained the same, using her designs as a way of shocking the public and inspiring change. Her goal is always to stand out from the crowd and make a bold statement. Whether that means wearing a gown without underwear to receive her OBE from the Queen in 1992, protesting about climate change at the London 2012 Paralympics or championing vegetarianism, Westwood has always linked her designs to a higher societal purpose. Her motto, “buy less, choose well” reinforces her beliefs both about the “green” movement and the ‘consumption of clothes’. Long live the Queen of Punk!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
We can learn two things from Vivienne Westwood:
Great designers and architects always work to a clear vision, a higher purpose, something that they believe in or believe to be important. This is their North Star, their guiding light.
Everything that is subsequently designed, developed and produced by the Architect needs to be consistent with this vision/purpose. In laymen’s terms, the little picture must always be a clear part of the Big Picture to ensure consistency of message. This is what helps brands stand out and get noticed!
YOUR CHALLENGE
Pick a brand in the market place, one that you are quite familiar with.
Try to articulate what you think this brand stands for. What is its purpose? Write this down.
Examine all the collateral associated with this brand (e.g. product, service, packaging, communication) and judge whether you think this is consistent with the brand’s purpose.
