Vivienne Westwood died in December 2022, and the secondhand market for her work has been moving ever since. If you're new to collecting her pieces, the first thing you'll encounter is confusion — there are a lot of lines, and they're not equal. Here's how to read them.
The short history
Westwood started in punk on the King's Road in the 1970s with Malcolm McLaren, dressing the Sex Pistols and building the aesthetic of an era before it had a name. She moved into fashion proper in the 1980s, showing in Paris, pioneering the corset as outerwear and the platform shoe as serious footwear. By the 1990s she had become one of the most influential designers working — a genuine rule-breaker at a time when that still meant something.
What makes her work interesting to collect is that she never made peace with the mainstream. The punk sensibility stayed. So did the tailoring obsession, the historical references, and the refusal to make anything simple when it could be complicated.
The lines, explained
Westwood ran several lines simultaneously for most of her career, and the labels on vintage pieces reflect this. Here's what the main ones mean:
Gold Label (later called Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood) — the mainline runway collection. The most expensive, the most experimental, the most collectible. If you find a Gold Label piece in excellent condition, that's the top of the hierarchy.
Anglomania — the secondary diffusion line, but don't let that put you off. Anglomania took Westwood's signature silhouettes — corset waists, asymmetric draping, theatrical proportions — and made them slightly more accessible. The quality is genuine and the design DNA is intact. This is where most of what you'll find secondhand sits, and it's where the best value is.
Red Label — the most accessible of the three main lines. Cleaner, more wearable, still very recognisably Westwood. The Orb logo appears across knitwear, shirts, and accessories. A solid entry point for someone buying their first Westwood piece.
MAN — the menswear line. Less commonly found in vintage markets, particularly in Australia.
What to look for
The Orb is the thing. Westwood's signature logo — a cross-topped orb — appears on buttons, embroideries, hardware, and labels across all her lines. On authentic pieces, it's precise and well-finished. On fakes, it's usually the first thing that looks off.
Labels are the other tell. Authentic vintage pieces have clean, consistent label typography. The line name (Anglomania, Red Label, etc.) is clearly stated alongside the main brand name. If something claims to be Westwood but the label looks vague or the Orb is wobbly, trust your instincts.
Condition on older pieces (pre-2000s especially) matters more than the label — a Gold Label piece in poor condition is worth less than a well-preserved Anglomania find.
What's in stock at Noir Neko right now
We have six Vivienne Westwood pieces across clothing and accessories, all one-of-a-kind, all in good to excellent condition:
Clothing
- Blue & White Long Shirt Dress — navy with white contrast collar, 100% cotton, Japan. Size 44 (AU 6–10). $300.
- Red Label Cardigan — vibrant red wool, embroidered Orb, Japan. Size 3 (AU 10–12). $265.
- Anglomania Corset Skirt — structured corset waist, dramatic drape, made in Italy. IT 38 (AU 6–8). $465.
- Anglomania Skirt — sculptural draping, high-contrast pattern, zip hardware detail, Japan. Size 40 (AU 6–8). $285.
Accessories
- Milky Way Blue Hat — archive piece, galactic starscape knit with the Westwood script and Orb woven directly in. 100% wool, Japan. One size. $235.
- Wool Bucket Hat — blue-and-purple check, embroidered Orb, 100% wool, Japan. One size. $225.
All ship from Australia.
Noir Neko is a curated alternative vintage store based in Australia. We hand-pick every piece for its quality, history, and edge.
