Dress of the Year 2010
Famous dress is Westwood bound for new
display
8 April 2011
The latest addition to the famous Dress of
the Year event will be place at Bath & North East Somerset
Council’s Fashion Museum on Friday 8th April 2011.
The Dress of the Year 2010 has been chosen
by eminent British milliner Stephen Jones, the first fashion
designer to make the selection since the scheme first began nearly
50 years ago in 1963.
And the designer chosen for the Fashion
Museum’s Dress of the Year 2010 is Dame Vivienne Westwood.
The dress that Stephen Jones has selected
is from Vivienne Westwood’s Spring / Summer 2010 collection, a pale
olive green ribbed shot silk dress, a seemingly demure dress made
from what appears to be ripped and torn panels of fabric, but which
are in fact carefully and cleverly cut so as to give an effortless
de-constructed couture look .
Stephen Jones, selector of the Dress of the
Year 2010 says, “The Dress of the Year at Bath Fashion Museum
is the most innovative and unusual event in the World of Fashion.
Since its inception in 1963, it has been chosen by Fashion
Journalists, and in 2010, I had the honour to be the first Fashion
Creator to be asked to pick the dress that will go on display.
I studied the Dresses of the Year from Mary
Quant (63) to Antonio Berardi (09). I was amazed to see that
fashion doyenne Vivienne Westwood was not represented in the
collection. As possibly the greatest designer of our times,
it was my choice, even my responsibility to address this.
I have chosen this dress from Vivienne’s
spring summer 2010 collection. For me it represents the junction in
her design oeuvre; the revolutionary ripped hems that she was the
first to create 35 years ago in her punk clothing at her shop
‘Sex’, and her study of the ladylike design codes of the British
Royal Family that started in 1985. The precious bicoloured taffeta
is draped in a radically unique manner which hints at decorum but
with an underlying sexuality that is at the heart of Westwood’s
design.
This dress is striking for its beauty and
individuality but above all its the essence of the creativity of
Dame Vivienne Westwood.”
Fashion Museum Manager, Rosemary Harden
commented “Vivienne Westwood is arguably the UK’s most famous
fashion designer, and certainly the name that everyone studying or
interested in fashion wants to see more of. Now, everyone can, by
visiting the Fashion Museum here in Bath and seeing Stephen’s
choice. This is a brilliant Dress of the Year, for 2010, and Bath
& North East Somerset Council is grateful to Stephen Jones for
his inspired selection, and to Dame Vivienne for so generously
donating the dress to the museum. The de-constructed dress
will now take its place alongside the other great names of fashion
which are represented in the Dress of the Year
collection”.
In a recent interview with fashion writer
Iain R Webb, Dame Vivienne Westwood talked about her approach
to fashion:
“I think my clothes are heroic. They always
want to cut a figure and have fun if you like; they amuse me.”
“I’m always finding quick tricks like
pre-shrunk georgette is a very useful fabric sometimes and I use
that quite a lot, you can use it double and you don’t have to do a
special hem and I was ripping it because it was very attractive
ripped. So you get this couture effect in a tactile way.”
_______________
ENDS
Notes to editors
Stephen Jones’ Biography:
Jones, who was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s
2010 Honours List for his services to Fashion, makes the perfect
arbiter as during his career he has collaborated with almost every
A-list fashion designer including Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs
and the House of Christian Dior. His hats have been worn by
everyone from Boy George and Beyonce Knowles to the late Princess
Diana.
Attached image: Dress of the Year 2010 designed by
Dame Vivienne Westwood.
For more images contact Maggie Bone,
Museums Publicity Officer, 01225 477736, maggie_bone@bathnes.gov.uk
For more information contact Rosemary
Harden, Fashion Museum Manager, 01225 477282, rosemary_harden@bathnes.gov.uk