Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood is a New Elizabethan, because I believe she has had such a huge impact not only on British Fashion but British culture, over the past 30 years.
Starting out very small, as a primary school teacher in London, went on to designing jewellery to sell in Portobello Road in London. She then met Malcolm McLaren and they opened up their famous shop ‘Sex’ on the Kings Road in London. It is here that her career truly took off, as she designed and sold clothes that pushed the social boundaries of the time. She was right at the forefront of the London Punk scene and sold clothes that were garish, sexually charged and extremely eccentric and completely designed to shock people. She is quoted saying "I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way".
She is extremely bold with her views on everything from fashion to politics and has a refreshing no-nonsense attitude that is so similar to Queen Elizabeth I. Designer Jasper Conran was quoted saying “Vivienne’s effect on other designers has been slightly like a laxative. Vivienne does and others follow”. She has dominated the world of fashion, and is a well known political activist. This was well showcased in her 1989 cover of Tatler magazine, where she dressed up as Margaret Thatcher in a suit Margaret Thatcher was waiting for. 
Beyonce
.jpg)
Beyonce is without a doubt one of the most influential people of the past decade. The likeness between her and Queen Elizabeth I is remarkable. She is an absolute “modern day feminist”, and her songs and entire image are about female empowerment, monogamy, sexuality and love. Throughout her obviously public career, her love life has remained very private, until she married Jay Z, lending her the same wholesome, virtuous image of Queen Elizabeth. She has millions of followers around the world, from all ages who look to her for guidance on everything from fashion and style to living their lives in general.
Similar to Queen Elizabeth, Beyonce went through a transformation of her image. Starting off as a singer in Houston, Texas she went on to sing in Destiny’s Child, before taking off on her solo career to become the mega star she is today. She created her alter-ego “Sascha Fierce”, and this is the mask she presents when on stage. She has a huge amount of power in the world of pop culture, and has been dubbed as “Queen B”, a title she showcased in her Elizabethan inspired advert for her Mrs Carter World tour. The fact that the advert was such a huge success shows just how well the world responds to the idea of her as a new Elizabethan.
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour is one of the most famous icons of fashion in the world. As the editor-in chief of American Vogue since 1988, she is one of the most influential figures in fashion history. The fact that she is best known for her over-sized sunglasses, bob hairstyle, and “chilly demeanour”, reminds me so much of Queen Elizabeth who had her trademark red hair, pale skin and untouchable image, yet related to so many people. She transformed Vogue magazine from a magazine aimed at wealthy, leisure loving women, to a magazine directed at the modern woman- fast paced, independent executives who earned their own money and were not afraid to speak their opinions. She has such an amazing understanding of what the industry needs, at the right time, and makes brilliant, fearless decisions constantly. She was the one who ended the ‘Supermodel era’, for example. She started favouring celebrities for the cover of her magazine over models. She was also the first to mix low-end fashion with high fashion in her magazine. It is this kind of thinking and decision making that makes me consider her a true Elizabethan. She is fearless, independent and knows what is right for her ‘people’, just like Queen Elizabeth did. What I love most about Anna Wintour being a new Elizabethan is that she influences everyone, even if they are not avid fashion followers. The following clip from the 2006 film ‘The Devil wears Prada’, which was based on Wintour herself best describes this.
No comments:
Post a Comment