Vivienne Westwood and her punk vibes from the 1970s through the fashion rebel in Cruella.

   (The audio transcription was translated into English from Thai)

In the 1970s, British fashion designer and entrepreneur Vivienne Westwood (actual name Vivienne Isabel Swire) broke the norm of designing clothing just for beauty and popularized the punk rock and new wave movements, which were defined by "rebellion against the upper-class society."

"My clothing may appear out of place because people aren't used to it, but I use it to criticize the tedium and tedium of those mainstream styles."

Because she defied the British social system, Vivienne used studs, buttons, chains, and images from old magazines to communicate through "obscene" designs, like cutting off the shirt to reveal the chest or screen printing the shirt with a pattern of women's chests. This is likely the main reason why people generally view her as crazy, and reckless, and definitely would not wear those clothes.

England was experiencing severe economic difficulties in the 1970s. Even though people at the time could not believe the existence of anything new in the old traditions of British society, which was full of many laws, Vivienne wanted to spread the word about the freedom of the working class or lower class in society.

Vivienne first set up a low-cost clothes boutique on King's Road. She sold torn T-shirts and tight dresses under the name Let It Rock, but she modified it multiple times until renamed it "Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die" in 1972, which marked the start of the punk movement.

What aspects of women's context are reflected in England's historical fashion?

Before moving on to the punk style, let's examine English fashion from the past In England's past, ladies were expected to be "pure and reserved." In addition to following her husband's regulations and taking care of everyone in the house, a decent woman had to be well-mannered and behave herself appropriately. Although women had more freedom of thought and were able to work and earn money on their own in the 1960s, this transformation lasted less than ten years.

The fashion of the mid-1960s was known as Swinging Sixteen when teenagers started to question the things around them. The trend of miniskirts and Go-Go boots reflected women's freedom resulting in classic fashion that could always be adapted to the times, even though the fashion of the 1960s was initially heavily influenced by Haute Couture, such as Chanel dresses that were tailored to fit the body better but were still neat. Additionally, in the late 1960s, there were bell-bottom jeans, outfits adorned with heart beads, and calls for sexual variety and liberation from the working class.

If we take a look at Vivienne's concept, "Back to Basic," it's like a camera looking back in time, adapting the original local knowledge in England, like the plaid pattern, which consists of both plaid fabric with 1-3 colors of crossed threads and tartan fabric with three or more colors of crossed threads, which is popular as a Scottish skirt. alternately, plaid fabric with one to three colors of crossed threads; the weaving technique is not as difficult. The Gingham pattern, which was originally discovered in Malaysia, Indonesia, and India and uses a single color crossover, was once popular for making dresses, and tablecloths, and adapted designs from suits that had to be all the same size. However, she made the dress with one side of the collar larger, or the skirt could be the hem of the shirt. The dress pattern can even create new forms to create movement at every moment. The Scots used to like wearing it as a shoulder cover.

Cut to the film industry, where the characters are unique, outspoken, and defy social norms. They also align with the punk rock heyday of the 1970s. The figure that was reimagined in the film Cruella is most likely the one from 101 Dalmatians.

What intriguing similarities exist between Cruella and Vivienne Westwood?

Cruella's two-tone hair and bisexuality, which made her appear like an alien to society, were major obstacles in her ascent. Her desired job was fashion, and she never gave up on it despite certain setbacks. She also had pals in the business who started a small clothes boutique with similar ideas. Additionally, she was talented at thinking outside the box and attaching lace and folding newspapers without adhering to the traditional notion that the outfit ought to be precisely proportioned.

Vivienne, for her part, ascended by herself. Teenagers at the time were encouraged to be unique and to express their genuine desires through every component and material of the garment that mirrored her rebellious ideas. Making new things out of old things was a significant step that, at one point, gave punk rock culture a place where people could express their emotions freely and openly, to the point where society viewed it as unusual. Therefore, the British likely asked, "Is it really good to be what it is and respect the rules?" in response to the practice of revealing one's ideas through clothing.

The intriguing thing about Cruella and Vivienne is that they both started small and handled everything themselves. Additionally, disregarding the norms and stripping off is analogous to letting oneself do what one truly enjoys, which is another contemporary feminist concept.

What distinguishes the outfit colors of the Baroness from Cruella?

The Baroness is dressed in satin, silk, parachute, lace, sheer, brown, and gold. Although the dress is not extremely form-fitting, it does have a 1920s dress influence in the high fashion style, along with Dior and Balenciaga overall. It demonstrates the traditional manner of the English aristocracy in terms of their labor, self-care, orderliness, and adherence to their own beliefs.

Regarding Cruella, her clothing is defiant and consistently features shades of red, black, and white. The dress's shape is the result of reverse thinking; for example, it can be made to appear more dimensional by adding layers or by wearing a corset and adding a dress shape through cutting, embellishing, and decorating. Because the values of the time were against most people, these dresses were combined with 3D, such as sewing a leather coat with parachute fabric and decorating a belt like a corset with a parachute hood. These designs are influenced by Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, who wore dresses and accessories to match. Due to the struggle with adversity, inequality, and the subsequent economic and post-World War II economic downturn.

Sustainable fashion was influenced by punk in the 1970s.

Teenagers of that era struggled with the idea of how to bring out their identity by flying freely, breaking old traditions, being reckless, and rebellious, and so reflecting identity through clothes and hair. This trend, which is the opposite of hippies, attracted a lot of attention. It began with the urban riots caused by the working class who were unable to find jobs or by the pressure from society and the economy during the famine.

Punk has become a popular fashion trend today. Resistance and curiousity to the society remain prevalent stances, even though the harshness, violence, and rawness of the past have considerably diminished. As a result, producing environmentally friendly clothing using more clean energy and creating unisex clothing that both men and women can share can help distribute income to people in a variety of ways, including Thailand, South Africa, and other ethnic groups.

Please remember to subscribe and thank you so much for listening to the Modernist podcast.

( Link : https://youtu.be/cWOYVSUvIJ0?si=6TYpx5emJkFgXp5W )