Introducing the Vivienne Westwood 2022 Sun Collection

The 2022 Vivienne Westwood Sun Collection draws on sunglasses as theatre-going beyond form & function, an expression of individual style. This diverse collection features key design notes of the house, embodying references from the past – taking tradition into the future, garnered with the anarchic approach to design that has become Westwood’s hallmark.

Exaggerated proportion and asymmetry also play into the collection; inspired by Westwood’s iconic use of amplified form and silhouette, the collection experiments with classical shapes and prescribed dimensions.

Drawing on decades of reference, the collection looks to the origins of traditional wooden eyewear as well as to the timeless styles immortalized by Hollywood starlets. The collection mixes experimental looks with 1960s Italian glamour- and combines vintage classics with durable sports-inspired frames.

‘Sunglasses should be the embodiment of personal theatre. They can make any look – they are an extension of your style. Of course, they have a purpose, but they should be fun, playful, joyous.’  – Andreas Kronthaler, Creative Director

The collection is divided into 3 categories; Vanguard; androgynous avant-garde styles to elevate your look, Prêt-à-Porter; inspired by retro frames and the icons who wore them, and Essence; styles rooted in classic silhouettes with signature Westwood details.

With every detail of design carefully considered and the choice of raw materials given equal consideration in order to fulfill the environmental and durability standards of Vivienne Westwood, the collection has been crafted in Bio-based Acetate and hardwearing metals.

The packaging of the collection has also been carefully considered with a recycled by-product leather case, organic cotton bag, recycled polyester cloth, and presented in a recycled and FSC certified paper box – all produced with 100% green energy.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

Vivienne Westwood began designing in 1971 along with her then partner Malcolm McLaren in London. At the time they used their shop at 430 Kings Road, London, to showcase their ideas and designs. With their changing ideas of fashion came the change of not only the name of the shop but also the décor. It was in 1976 when Westwood and McLaren defined the street culture of Punk with Seditionaries.

By the end of the seventies Vivienne Westwood was already considered a symbol of the British avant-garde and for Autumn/Winter 1981 she showed her first catwalk presentation at Olympia in London. Westwood then turned to traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, using British fabrics and 17^th and 18th-century art for inspiration.

1989 was the year that Vivienne met Andreas Kronthaler, who would later become her husband and long-time design partner, as well as Creative Director of the brand. In 2004 the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, hosted a Vivienne Westwood retrospective exhibition to celebrate her then 34 years in fashion – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer. In 2006, her contribution to British Fashion was officially recognized when she was appointed Dame of the British Empire by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2007 was awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement in Fashion at the British Fashion Awards in London.

Vivienne Westwood is one of the last independent global fashion companies in the world. At times thought-provoking, this brand is about more than producing clothes and accessories. Westwood continues to capture the imagination, and raise awareness of environmental and human rights issues. With a design record spanning over forty years, Vivienne Westwood is now recognized as a global brand, and Westwood herself is one of the most influential fashion designers, and activists, in the world today.

See the entire Vivienne Westwood sunglass collection at mondottica.com.