Opening 14 December, 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During her career, Westwood created bold and rebellious designs characterised by historical references, subversive styles, and socio-political themes – all evident in this exhibition.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 14 December 2024 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 4 November: tepapa.nz/Westwood
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery will tour globally across Asia, Europe and the USA from Spring 2025.
Image captions:
- Image supplied by Vivienne Westwood Ltd
- 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