British Fashion Icon opens boutique in Lebanon

Hari Foch, the exclusive agent of Vivienne Westwood in Lebanon, proudly announced that the Grand Opening of the first boutique at Foch Street / Beirut will be held on the 8th of October, 2009 in the presence of Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Vivienne Westwood has been designing for almost 40 years. She first began designing in 1971 with partner Malcolm McLaren, showcasing their ideas from the shop at 430 Kings Road, London.  Together the pair redefined street culture with punk, “Seditionaries” and “Pirates” which led to the New Romantic movement. 1986 was the year which marked a radical change of direction for Westwood. Street style and youth culture ceased to play a major part of her work and instead, Westwood looked to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, British fabrics and 17th and 18th century art for inspiration. The iconic orb logo which was first used around this time symbolised taking tradition into the future.

Westwood is recognised as one of the most influential fashion designers in the world today. In 2004, a major retrospective of her works was shown at the V&A in London. It was the largest exhibition of its kind put together for any living British designer. It subsequently toured the world for 5 years and was exhibited in over ten cities. Vivienne Westwood’s contribution to fashion was officially recognised when she was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth the Second in 2006.

Westwood continues to show in Paris, Milan and London Fashion Week where she uses the medium of her shows to talk about culture and politics, more specifically about the urgent need to act against climate change. Today, the company remains completely independent and her business continues to expand globally with boutiques in Singapore, Bangkok and Beirut opened this year and Los Angeles set to open next year.