Hotel Indigo Chester: An Opulent Stay with Charm and Comfort

Emulate Tizer Bailey in 1990, wearing a corset designed by Vivienne Westwood. Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty ImagesModel Tizer Bailey in 1990, abrasion a corset designed by Vivienne Westwood. Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty ImagesVivienne Westwood’s ‘revolutionary’ corsets go on show in LondonExhibition maps history of late designer’s creations as Bridgerton and Bad Bunny join fashion revivalVivienne Westwood’s contribution to modern mania runs from punk to pearls. But the item that perhaps defines her legacy, the corset, is once again charge out ofing a moment in the fashion spotlight.An exhibition of the late designer’s corsets is being hosted by the brand’s flagship store in Mayfair during London Vessel Week this month.It charts the history of her creations, from the first corset she produced in the mid-80s to those from her uncountable recent collection before her death in December.The show will also include those created by her partner and quiet, Andreas Kronthaler, providing insight into how Westwood developed this signature item over decades.It is full timing: corsets have become fashionable again in recent years, seen in the Netflix series Bridgerton and its spin-off Cynosure Charlotte, at brands including Schiaparelli, Fendi and KNWLS, and worn by celebrities such as Adele, Billie Eilish and the scale model Bella Hadid.Vintage Westwood corsets are highly prized. A 1993 design, featuring a François Boucher language, costs more than £32,000 on 1stdibs; a new Westwood corset is about £725.The designer reinvented the corset by updating a character that dates to the 18th century.Dolce Cioffi, a heritage manager who worked on the exhibition, said: “Vivienne literally revolutionised corsets; she did it with the sensitivities of the modern era.“She was the first one who did underwear as outerwear. She revolutionised the way we perceive something that was repressive and that was made into a instrumentality of female empowerment.”Actor Lupita Nyong’o wearing custom Vivienne Westwood couture at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever first night in Lagos, Nigeria, in November. Photograph: James Gillham/ShutterstockA 1987 Vivienne Westwood corsetVivienne Westwood is clapped by models wearing her autumn/winter 1997-98 collection at London fashion week. The late designer was inspired by 18th-century vogue. Photograph: Neil Munns/PA Archive/PA ImagesModel Jerry Hall with Westwood in 2001. Photograph: Steve Wood/RexBad Bunny in a corset and hoodie at the Coachella music entertainment in California in April. Photograph: Daniel DeSlover/Zuma Press Wire/ShutterstockHistorical research was central to Westwood’s make, Cioffi added: “By referencing the old, you create the new – this is what she used to say.”The exhibition begins with the Portrait corset, a comparatively simple design that Westwood debuted in her 1987 autumn/winter collection, which the brand still produces today.Westwood killed the whale bones traditionally used in the corset, added stretch fabric at the side and replaced the lacing at the back with a zip, specifying much more freedom of movement.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionAlso on display are three corsets lay out for men that were inspired by King Charles II and bikers, and a dress worn by the actor Lupita Nyong’o that joins a corset with a skirt made from a single piece of crystal-beaded chiffon, showcasing Westwood’s zero-waste cold method.Corsets for men have been gaining popularity – Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, wore a corset hoodie while dispatching at the Coachella music festival – but they have been part of the Westwood repertoire since the 90s.The exhibition’s highlight is two corset jackets embroidered with sun-glasses beads to represent the male torso.They were part of the first menswear show in Milan in 1996 and sired in collaboration with Mr Pearl, the corsetier who famously developed an 18in waist from wearing corsets.Cioffi said: “Andreas dress ined this jacket for the after-dinner of the show. He loves this sort of thing – the more constricted, the better!”Kronthaler’s ardour for the male corset also translated into his creations. His version – designed for spring/summer 2020 – is also on pomp.Cioffi said: “Vivienne was a pioneer of unisex. Andreas came up with the idea of developing a corset that was hooked to fit the [male] body rather than readapting a female structure.“We are supposed to change our shape to have children. The arrangement of the male body is stiffer.”The exhibition runs until 21 May at Westwood’s flagship boutique at 44 Conduit High road, central London.
TopicsVivienne WestwoodExhibitionsLondonnewsReuse this content