Vivienne Westwood’s pointedly anti-consumerist remarks backstage at London Fashion Week after her big show were taken by some as more “dotty” remarks by the great British designer, but they didn’t seem that way to me. Yes, there is certainly a, uh, tension between showing a new collection of clothes and then telling everyone assembled not to buy them, but do you think Westwood doesn’t know that?

And besides, since when is the pure act of telling the truth, somehow dotty in the first place? Have I missed something here? The woman’s 1000% correct. She should be commended for her commitment to the future of mankind—and speaking with common sense—and not mocked.

I actually met her once about ten years ago and she was a trip. My close friend Oberon Sinclair was doing some PR work for the opening of the Westwood boutique in New York and there was a big sit down dinner for a lot of people. Westwood didn’t know a lot—if any—of the people present and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, who I attended the dinner with, gallantly and sweetly, sat down with Westwood to put her at ease. So I was along for the ride and we sat across from her for about two hours and she was a delight, if a little non-sequitur at times. (Not a judgement, just a description. People must say that about me all the time…)

One-of-a-kind designer Vivienne Westwood Sunday night presented a gorgeous collection of autumn and winter outfits at London Fashion Week, then went backstage and told reporters she hopes people stop buying her clothes.

“Stop all this consumerism,” said Westwood, the former high priestess of punk who has increasingly used her catwalk shows to spotlight her concern about climate change.

“I just tell people, stop buying clothes. Why not protect this gift of life while we have it? I don’t take the attitude that destruction is inevitable. Some of us would like to stop that and help people survive,” she said.

 
Below is part one of Dame Westwood’s interview on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross last year. I thought she was fucking awesome when I saw this. Part II is here. Both parts are well worth watching. When is the last time you heard a public figure speak this passionately about something?
 

 
Westwood Condemns Consumerism After London Show (ABC News)
 
Vivienne Westwood meets James Lovelock on video (Dazed Digital)

 

 

 
Here are some random images and videos of London in the 60s from Flickr user SwingingLondon.

(via Das Kraftfuttermischwerk)

 
So sad to hear this. From the Associated Press:

Company spokeswoman Samantha Garrett said McQueen’s body was found in the morning but that she had no information “in terms of circumstances.”
Police did not directly comment when asked about how McQueen died, but said officers were called by the ambulance service at 10:20 a.m. (1020GMT) to an address on Green Street, in central London, and found a 40-year-old man dead. They did not name him but said next of kin had been informed.

The force said a post-mortem would be held but that the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Update: Alexander McQueen commits suicide: Britain has lost a great designer – and fashion ambassador

 
Genius.
 
African Apparel

 
The female audience looks thrilled!
 
(via HYST)

 
Karin Dreijer of the Swedish sibling duo The Knife, also known professionally as Fever Ray, shows Gaga how it’s done.

Via Bob Lefsetz

Christ, they’re making a reality show about Silver Lake hipsters… Maybe I should apply?

Oh boy. Perhaps trying to capitalize on Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat’s in the works Williamsburg-to-Silver Lake comedy, some reality show producers are looking for rich, poorly-dressed Silver Lakers to show off their lives on television. Here’s the Craigslist pitch: “A new Reality Show is casting Silver Lake’s rich, wealthy, hipster GUYS and GIRLS 21-30 whose personal style is homeless chic: Guys with beards, ratty hair and raggedy yet stylish clothing ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú and Girls dressed in fashionable, vintage hippie-type garb accessorized with large sunglasses and oversized tote bags. You must be incredibly involved in the Silver Lake social scene, enjoy a sensational nightlife Silver Lake style and be very outspoken with a vivacious personality. You must also hang with a racially diverse, intriguing group of friends who all live in Silver Lake.” The show sounds like it’ll be The Hills: Slightly Farther East, but we’re still crossing our fingers for a Jersey Shore: Way Farther West.

(Curbed: Real Hipsters of Silver Lake)

(Bohemian Modern: Living in Silver Lake)

 
Clergy Style

 
The actress darts through the forest, crawls through a cave and ends up swimming out to sea wearing frocks by Pringle of Scotland. McGinley says his inspirations included The Goonies and Grafteful Dead albums covers.

 
Garland Jeffreys says, “Wild in the Streets is my pride and joy. I consider it my “first” Rock ‘n’ Roll record, written and released in 1973, and recorded with Dr. John and his band, with Alan Freedman, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, David Spinozza, David Peel, Produced by Roy Cicala.”
 
(via Wooster Collective)

 
I wonder if the left shoe has Biggie on it?
 
For a larger view click here.

 
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something like this comes along:

My New Pink Button (tm) is a temporary dye to restore the youthful pink color back to your labia. There is no other product like it. This patent pending formula was designed by a female certified Paramedical Esthetician after she discovered her own genital color loss. While looking online for a solution she discovered thousands of other women asking the same questions regarding their color loss. After countless searches revealing no solution available and a discussion with her own gynecologist she decided to create her own. Now there is a solution!

They have several different shades—but of course—in their product line.

For instance, there’s “Bettie”:

Think of that favorite lipstick you wear for those dressy black tie affairs and think “Ginger.” This shade blends with a woman’s own skin tones to bring out that “sexy hot pink, I am fired up, look”. Go dancing this weekend and remember to bring “Bettie” along!

“Audry” will give your vagina a ?¢‚Ǩ?ìbold, burgundy-pink?¢‚Ǩ¬ù color and “Marilyn” is for the fairer ladies out there.

PS Maybe it’s just that I have the brain of a natural-born marketer, but don’t you think “HOT BOX” would have been a better, more memorable name for this product line?

*runs far, far away*

Additional reading: Color Your Cootchie Like a M*therf%@king Rainbow?¢‚Ǩ¬¶! (Cherrybombed)

Thank you Mr. Mark Jordan of London, England!

 
My Gawd! And I thought I was “gangsta” for using Visine. 
 
(via misterhonk)

 

 

 
Really beautiful wallpaper designs and dresses from Vivienne Westwood and Cole & Son. From eccouterre:

Now your walls can look as fashion-forward as you do. Legendary British fashion designer?¢‚Ǩ‚Äùand born-again environmentalist?¢‚Ǩ‚ÄùDame Vivienne Westwood has paired up with Cole & Son to launch a collection of wallpaper based on some of her most celebrated designs, including the iconic Squiggle print from her Autumn/Winter 1981/82 collection and the more recent Cut-Out Lace from the Spring/Summer 2007 collection.

(via ecouterre)

 
The much-maligned Ed Hardy clothing company has simultaneously given the fashion-challenged, uh, idiot population a way to express their “uniqueness” to the world while giving the rest of us something to point at and laugh about (well “white people” at least, but I suspect it’s possible for persons of any race, creed or color to find the Technicolor vomit of Ed Hardy clothing absolutely insufferable). Now there are some new kids on the fashion block and they want to do for trust fund hipsters what Ed Hardy did for Jon Gosselin and the cast of MTV’s “Jersey Shore.”

Yes indeed, the Grammy award-winning Kings of Leon pop group are coming out with a new line of expensive prefab hipster togs which will be for sale in just one store on London’s trendy King’s Road. Starting this month, if you are so inclined, you can spend your parents’ hard-earned dough on a dozen overpriced items of the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìS2A x KOL?¢‚Ǩ¬ù collection, to be sold exclusively at The Shop at Bluebird. Items of apparel fashioned after the ones worn by the musical Followill family include plaid shirts, stovepipe jeans, belts, jewelery, guitar straps and, of course, black Fedoras. The ?¢‚Ǩ?ìS2A x KOL?¢‚Ǩ¬ù line is a collaboration between the Followills and Paris-based design firm, Surface to Air. An authentic Kings of Leon designer bandanna costs $100 bucks. A leather jacket will ding your dad’s credit card for a cool two grand.

How am I so sure that only trustafarians will be buying into this nonsense? Because people who actually earn their money would never consider paying $100 for a fucking Kings of fucking Leon bandanna.
 

 
(Via Brand X)