VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

Denim Trucker Jacket
AW1991 "Swarm of Cupids"

DESCRIPTION

Vivienne Westwood released a series of denim jackets and pants which featured elaborate, all-over prints utilizing fine art and other signifiers of elite financial status. This jacket displays work from artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard, a late-18th century painter typically associated with the Rococo movement. It depicts details from his oil painting “The Swarm of Cupids” (c. 1765-1767).

CONDITION

Good condition. Please see photos for full evaluation.

SIZE / MEASUREMENTS

Size Large

COVERAGE

In the mid 80s, shortly after the closing of Vivienne Westwood’s “World’s End” shop, she spent time in Italy trying to re-define her brand, and in the process design a new groundbreaking collection. She had the loose idea of juxtaposing the iconography of British Royalty with futurist aesthetics, representing her current mission statement of “taking tradition into the future.” A close collaborator lent Vivienne some Astronomy magazines from the 60s. One of which had a rendering of Saturn on the cover that she was particularly fond of. She designed the “Deep Sky Blazer” using influence from King Charles II, detailing the garment with his coronated Sovereign Orb. To create a futurist angle as well, she added a satellite ring around the orb, inspired by Saturn from the cover. Her close collaborator Carlo D’Amario saw this design, and told her that it was perfect for her logo, as it illustrated her desired brand statement thoroughly. Over 30 years later, this graphic has managed to stay in the vocabulary of fashion’s visual history, and funny enough, these necklaces are what the new generation of consumers know her for.