Outfit
1990 {Cut and Slash collection, spring-summer 1991}
Medium
cotton, polyester (satin), metal (buttons)
Measurements
(a) 62.5 cm (centre back) 55.0 cm (sleeve length) (jacket)
(b) 93.4 cm (outer leg) 41.2 cm (waist, flat) (jeans)
(c) 27.0 × 17.0 cm (codpiece)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1995
Gallery location
Special Exhibitions Gallery
Ground Level, NGV International
About this work
For her first men’s collection, Westwood took inspiration from a historical slashing technique she discovered while researching at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Originating in mid sixteenth-century Germany and popularised in Renaissance courts, the method involved making deliberate cuts to outer garments, revealing luxurious silk beneath. Westwood reinterpreted this method using denim and gauzy cotton, often exposing bare flesh instead of fabric.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
London, England
Inscription
(a) label, centre back neckline, woven in yellow on red synthetic fabric: Vivienne / Westwood / MADE IN ENGLAND ©
(b) label, centre right back waistline, woven in yellow on red synthetic fabric: Vivienne / Westwood / MADE IN ENGLAND ©
Accession Number
1995.15.a-c
Department
International Fashion and Textiles
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest