Behind The Scenes Of Te Papa’s Debut Vivienne Westwood Retrospective

Vivienne Westwood’s accessories designer Alex Krenn talks to Dan Ahwa about a new exhibition opening this week in Wellington in honour of the brand’s iconic punk fashion pioneer.

When Dame Vivienne Westwood died in 2022 aged 81, the fashion world lost a rebellious spirit who channelled her passion for history, irreverence and rebellion into her iconic brand of fashion.

It’s her skew-whiff corsetry that sensually envelops the torso like a buxom lady in waiting from a Rococo painting.

It’s the anarchy of kilts and leather held together with embellished safety pins, a legacy continued from when she first opened her revolutionary Sex boutique in London’s King’s Road in 1974, alongside then-partner, designer and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren.

It’s the dystopian blueprint we’re seeing in today’s fashion, courtesy of another seminal collection entitled Nostalgia of Mud from 1982, featuring a parade of “Buffalo Girls” dressed in raw-edged, reversed-seamed sheepskin coats, hoodies peeking out from under tailored jackets and full-circle skirts worn with boots, exposed bras and wide-brimmed hats.

It’s Westwood’s well-documented commitment to sustainability and the make-do-and-mend charm of craft.

This magpie approach to fashion has also lent itself naturally to Westwood’s approach to jewellery over the years, the subject of a new retrospective debuting this week at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa – Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, which opens on January 17 and runs until April 25. Created with award-winning design and production company Nomad Exhibitions, the unique retrospective is a chance to not only celebrate Westwood’s remarkable contribution to fashion and culture, but to do so through the specific lens of jewellery.

“Our jewellery has always been important,” says Krenn, speaking from the brand’s headquarters in London. “Since the beginning, Vivienne created handmade, one-off pieces. In the early years, Vivienne started using safety pins and studs, chicken bones as adornments, and brooches – a DIY approach to jewellery. It’s part of our identity and we wanted to celebrate this.”

Like most people’s first introduction to fashion, jewellery offers an entry point for people to explore their identity the Westwood brand has pioneered for over five decades, the jewellery category being a significant pillar in its history.

Westwood sold jewellery from a stall in Portobello Market in the 1970s, and Andreas Kronthaler, the brand’s creative director and Vivienne’s husband, trained as a fine jeweller before moving to work in fashion, with Westwood and Kronthaler ultimately working side by side together for over 30 years designing the collections.

“The jewellery gives the look or collection another dimension,” explains Krenn. “It can transport you to another place or time in history. Vivienne has always used jewellery to say something. To mix ideas. Brooches and badges with climate and political messages. Precious metals and found objects, giving everyday things value.”

Showcasing a collection of more than 550 pieces of jewellery and over 15 complete ensembles and garments spanning four decades, the exhibition is a coup for New Zealand, with Te Papa chief executive Courtney Johnston acknowledging the importance of the opportunity upon the announcement in December.

“Vivienne Westwood was a disruptor, an activist and one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th and 21st century,” says Johnston. “She brought punk into mainstream fashion and jewellery and is acknowledged worldwide as a true icon of contemporary design.

“This is the first time these special archive and runway pieces have been curated and displayed as a collection and it’s an absolute honour for Te Papa to premiere this world-class exhibition.

“It’s especially exciting that New Zealanders will be the first in the world to see this unique experience.”

Krenn agrees. “We wanted the exhibition to travel across the globe, so when the opportunity with Te Papa arose it was the perfect starting point. Te Papa exhibitions are rooted in storytelling and culture – they bring to life the artefacts or art they are exhibiting. Vivienne always approached her collections in that way; every piece tells a story. We are delighted that Te Papa and New Zealanders can experience the exhibition.”

Told through a series of rooms, Westwood’s unique ability to meld historical references, subversive styles and sociopolitical themes into her designs will play a key part in how each room is curated – from punk’s origins to the ecological philosophy of Do It Yourself, visitors will journey through time from the 1980s to the present day.

“Jewellery is about so many things,” says Krenn. ”It can reflect your mood or change the way you feel. It’s full of meaning and tells a story of the wearer, who you are.”

For Kronthaler, his memory of Vivienne’s favourite jewels are as eclectic and unique as his late wife and collaborator was.

“Her favourite jewels included a pair of rose quartz earrings that belonged to my grandmother,” he says. “Her conker necklace – made from a string with real conkers. The skeleton she really liked reminds us of life’s fragility. It was first in our Vive la Cocotte autumn/winter 1995-96 collection. It wasn’t a gothic idea so much, it was an 18th-century fantasy – where women paraded their conquests on ears and necks.”

“I remember the wedding dress from this collection in absolute gold and silver fabric – it was a Watteau-inspired dress worn by Naomi Campbell. She wore it with the skeleton earrings hanging down as if holding on to her, a little red string around her neck symbolising the onslaught of the revolution, with deep red roses in her hair, so beautiful.”

The retrospective is also well timed because the brand has recently seen a resurgence among Gen Z fans who are obsessed with the brand’s pearl choker and signature orb motif. The original design debuted as a single strand in the late 1980s as part of the late designer’s Harris Tweed Fall 1987 runway collection and was subsequently updated to a triple strand for the brand’s Portrait collection in 1990.

“Pearls are a transmitter,” says Kronthaler. “Since we know life on Earth. The pearl, framing the face, connecting with your teeth and the white of your eyes – there is no better fusion in order to communicate. Of course, there is such an important painting The Girl with the Pearl Earring painted in 1665 – and nothing demonstrates better the power of a pearl. It’s just so fundamentally real, it connects you to the natural world. They are pure joy; they remind you of where we come from.”

Another iconic Vivienne Westwood motif that can be found on several of the designer’s jewellery is a punk essential – the safety pin, which Krenn says was important to highlight.

“There are a number of safety pins in Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery. Included are the Kate Safety Pin broach from the Anglomania autumn/winter 1992-93 collection. There are penis safety pin earrings from the A & V autumn/winter 2017-18 collection alongside other examples, including as part of a necklace or wrapped around the iconic orb.”

Much like the motif of the orb, which symbolises the past, present and future, the exhibition aims to find new life beyond its stint at Te Papa, with the aim of relocating to Shanghai in the Northern Hemisphere summer of 2025.

“We would like the exhibition to tour the world,” says Krenn. “The exhibition will open in Shanghai for summer 2025, then move across Asia and to Europe, with many dates and locations to be confirmed.”

The retrospective is another way for the brand to lean into its history and contribution to fashion and culture at a time when many luxury brands are dealing with the pressures of redefining their identity in a challenging market and the high turnover of creative directors. For Krenn, it’s a vital part of preserving Westwood’s legacy.

“It’s a presentation of a lifetime of jewellery,” he says.

“Designs through the decades; a portrait of Vivienne herself, from her life as a designer and activist. It’s rich, there’s much to discover – her respect and interest in culture and craft and art.”

Tickets for Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery are on sale now.

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