Shalom. Eva. Yasmeen. Naomi. Kate. Mononyms of the supermodels were cast in the elegant, spindly handwriting of Vivienne Westwood, the running order of her Vive La Bagatelle spring 2007 show printed on a feather-light shirt. For fall 2026, the Vivienne Westwood team journeyed through the late Dame’s most formidable collections, creating an era-hopping tableau for a contemporary cast of characters.
It began with the bricolage of her Anglophilia and Five Centuries Ago collections: Tarted up tartans appeared on taffeta gowns, sharp-waisted jackets, and coquettish twin sets. Checked hunting breeches were cinched with studded belts inspired by fairground workers who would adorn their own with their girlfriends’ names.
Next came the sensual feminine codes of mid-’90s Westwood: Georgian bow-adorned bustiers, a gauzy polka-dot dress, a heart-shaped cummerbund, a sporty mini-dress-cum-jacket featuring renaissance cherubs. One deep Peter Pan-collared skirt suit was inspired by the enigmatic, working girl protagonist of Édouard Manet’s last major work, the 1882 painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. It was a real ragtag Canterburian crew, its cobbled-togetherness kept light and free-wheeling.
Accessories are where the punk spirit stayed strong, with sexy triple-strap heels in cracked leather, a “motherfucker” chain, and “drunken” asymmetric-laced, python-print sneakers. Horse whips were affixed to totes and shoulderbags, and one fuzzy bucket bag riffed on British Yeomen Warders’ hats. A sweet, robin-shaped coin purse was the collection’s ode to the late designer. Denim also kept it cheeky, with beat-up jackets and washed and lasered jeans featuring a print inspired by papal robes, and quite fabulous zip-crotched pants. As always, there were nods to sustainability and innovative materials; wool was sourced from heritage tartan manufacturer Lochcarron of Scotland, and jewelry largely incorporated recycled brass.
A familiar fetishistic undertone was woven through both the men’s and womenswear, with details taken from the recent, deliciously deviant Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood show: stockings emerged from flasher-style trenches, and an otherwise business-y pantsuit is slashed to the hip.
The team shared in a preview that customers continue to come to the brand looking for the Westwoodian take on contemporary tailoring, so there were pants with removable built-in corsetry and others with a boxer shorts top layer. Erotica, as you like it.
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