Te Papa debuts spectacular jewellery retrospective of punk fashion pioneer, Vivienne Westwood
This summer, Te Papa will be the first venue to kick off the global tour of Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the iconic jewellery of renowned British fashion house Vivienne Westwood.
Opening 17 January, the spectacular exhibition is the first of its kind to come from Westwood and showcases an impressive collection of over 550 pieces of jewellery and over 15 complete ensembles and garments, spanning four decades.
Celebrated as the Greatest British Fashion Designer, Westwood’s prolific career was acknowledged in 2004 with a retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London – the largest exhibition ever devoted to a living British fashion designer.
Courtney Johnston, Te Papa’s Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive, acknowledges just how special this opportunity is for Te Papa.
“Vivienne Westwood was a disruptor, an activist, and one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th and 21st Century.
“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.”
Designed and curated by the house of Vivienne Westwood and produced by Nomad Exhibitions, this touring exhibition dives into the extensive history of jewellery design and creation by the Vivienne Westwood house.
During her career, Westwood created bold and rebellious designs characterised by historical references, subversive styles, and socio-political themes – all evident in this exhibition.
The story is told through a series of rooms, each meticulously curated with distinct decades of design, from punk Origins to fantasies of Wonderland, the ecological philosophy of Do It Yourself, and an Exploration of cultures, and Parure. Visitors will journey through time from the 1980s to the present day.
From the very beginning, Westwood’s journey has been intertwined with links to the craft, having sold jewellery from a stall in Portobello Road market, London, in the 1970s and later incorporating costume jewellery as statement pieces within catwalk collections.
“Jewellery plays an essential role in defining that iconic ‘Vivienne Westwood look’ and this new exhibition explores the design codes and subversive spirit of the British design house through this prism,” says the Vivienne Westwood design team.
Visitors can expect eclectic pairings of jewellery and garments – each creation presented as an objets d’art, surrounded by a 'chaos’ of wall prints and sounds, catwalk looks, imagery, and video, recalling iconic past collections and runway shows, evoking the fashion house’s iconic style.
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery runs from 17 January to 27 April 2025, supported by a rich programme of events spanning jewellery, fashion, feminism, sustainability, music, and more.
Te Papa acknowledges the generosity and support of our destination partner, Wellington City Council, and major exhibition partners, Te Papa Foundation, Wellington Airport, and Go Media.
This is a paid exhibition – ticket prices and booking details will be announced soon. Tickets go on sale 15 November: tepapa.nz/Westwood
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery will tour globally across Asia, Europe and the USA from Spring 2025.
ENDS
Media contacts
Heather Byrne, Senior Communications Advisor
029 601 0120 | heather.byrne@tepapa.govt.nz
Vivienne Westwood House
Pressoffice@viviennewestwood.com
Photos and captions
Please note that this content is being supplied to you for the purposes of Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery press release only. Media may not crop, alter, or edit the images in any way without Te Papa’s prior permission. The content must be fully attributed as per the provided credit line(s). If you wish to use the images again in future, please come back to Te Papa to seek further permissions on a case-by-case basis. Third-party permissions and licensing fees may apply in future. Please do not retain images or re-use for other purposes without the specific approval of the rights holders.
Therese earrings. Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring Summer 2020. Photo by Philippe Lacombe, 2024
Therese earrings. Spring Summer 2019. Photo by Mitchell Sams, 2019
Notes to editors
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 17th- 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 recognised 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 design house is about more than producing clothes, jewellery and accessories. Throughout her life Westwood captured the imagination and raised awareness of environmental and human rights issues around the world. With a design record spanning over fifty years, Vivienne Westwood is now recognised as a global brand and Westwood herself is remembered as one of the most influential fashion designers, and activists of the 20th-21st Century.
Te Papa
Te Papa is Aotearoa New Zealand's much-loved national museum, known for attracting diverse audiences and bringing world-class international exhibitions to visitors.
Since opening, Te Papa has attracted over 35 million visits total and an average of 1.4 million visitors per year.
Located in Wellington, Te Papa is one of New Zealand's most well-known and trusted brands, with research showing it’s closely associated with being for all New Zealander's, a kaitiaki of knowledge, a trusted source of information, and a world-class destination.
Te Papa is a top-rated Trip Advisor visitor attraction and was rated #1 in Wellington, #2 in New Zealand and #6 in South Pacific.
From Tuesday 17 September 2024, Te Papa will introduce a museum entry ticket of NZ$35 for international visitors aged 16 years and older.
Entry to the museum will remain free for all New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand.
Te Papa will continue to have some paid exhibitions and other paid experiences, which will be additional to museum entry.
Nomad Exhibitions
Nomad Exhibitions, based in the UK, is a pioneering leader in the design and production of innovative and expertly designed temporary, touring and permanent exhibitions for museums and cultural venues worldwide. The award-winning Nomad team is dedicated to fostering meaningful and lasting cultural interactions between international communities and museums, as well as their visitors.
Environmental responsibility is at the heart of Nomad’s operations. Their unique approach to sustainable exhibition design is grounded in the principles of reduce, recycle and reuse as well as supporting charitable carbon-reducing initiatives.