Banner
1977 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
For well over three decades Vivienne Westwood, along with her one-time partner Malcolm McLaren, has been at the centre of British fashion and one of its most inventive and influential designers. Westwood’s career in fashion was galvanised by McLaren and together they launched memorable fashion moments, including Punk in the early 1970s and later their Pirates collection. McLaren and Westwood conducted a design relationship between 1971 and 1983. In 1990 and again in 1991 Vivienne Westwood was named British Designer of the Year; she has also received an OBE.
Westwood’s unique mix of practicality and inventiveness, her preoccupation with silhouette and the manner in which she manipulates fabrics result in dynamic fashion. Westwood herself once said, 'You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes.’
This design on this banner, created at the time of the 'Seditionaries' collection during the height of the Punk movement, was printed as a flyer for Westwood and McLaren's shop on the King's Road. The banner was created for the Sex Pistols last British concert, on Christmas day 1977, which was a special gig for the children of striking firefighters. It is printed with a George Cruikshank cartoon and includes a lengthy text which references the anarchic creed of the band.
Westwood’s unique mix of practicality and inventiveness, her preoccupation with silhouette and the manner in which she manipulates fabrics result in dynamic fashion. Westwood herself once said, 'You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes.’
This design on this banner, created at the time of the 'Seditionaries' collection during the height of the Punk movement, was printed as a flyer for Westwood and McLaren's shop on the King's Road. The banner was created for the Sex Pistols last British concert, on Christmas day 1977, which was a special gig for the children of striking firefighters. It is printed with a George Cruikshank cartoon and includes a lengthy text which references the anarchic creed of the band.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Printed silk |
| Brief description | Silk banner with manifesto; originally designed for a handbill, Malcolm McLaren, Britain, 1977; printed for last Sex Pistols concert in Britain, Huddersfield, Christmas Day 1977. |
| Physical description | Silk banner, printed with George Cruikshank cartoon and text. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'They are Dickensian - like urchins who / with ragged clothes and pock marked / faces roam the streets of foggy / gas lit London pillaging... / Pill [? somewhat illegible] / Setting fire to buildings beating up / old people with gold chains / Fucking the rich up the arse / causing havoc wherever they go. some of / these ragamuffin gangs jump on tables / amidst the charred / debris and with burning / torches play rock 'n roll to the / screaming delight of the / frenzied pissing pogoing mob / shooting and spitting / 'anarchy' one of the gangs / call themselves the SEX / PISTOLS, This true and / dirty tale has been / continuing throughout / 200 years of teenage anarchy / and so in 1978 there still / remains the SEX PISTOLS. Their / active extremism is all they / care about because that's what / WHAT COUNTS to Jump / right out of the 20th / century as fast as you / possibly can in order to create / an environment that you can / TRUTHFULLY RUN WILD IN / Oliver Twist' (Decoration; English) |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support and assistance from the Friends of the V&A, the Elsbeth Evans Trust, and the Dorothy Hughes Bequest |
| Object history | Silk banner with manifesto; originally designed for a handbill, Malcolm McLaren, Britain, 1977; printed for last Sex Pistols concert in Britain, Huddersfield, Christmas Day 1977. |
| Production | Designed and printed 1977 |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | For well over three decades Vivienne Westwood, along with her one-time partner Malcolm McLaren, has been at the centre of British fashion and one of its most inventive and influential designers. Westwood’s career in fashion was galvanised by McLaren and together they launched memorable fashion moments, including Punk in the early 1970s and later their Pirates collection. McLaren and Westwood conducted a design relationship between 1971 and 1983. In 1990 and again in 1991 Vivienne Westwood was named British Designer of the Year; she has also received an OBE. Westwood’s unique mix of practicality and inventiveness, her preoccupation with silhouette and the manner in which she manipulates fabrics result in dynamic fashion. Westwood herself once said, 'You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes.’ This design on this banner, created at the time of the 'Seditionaries' collection during the height of the Punk movement, was printed as a flyer for Westwood and McLaren's shop on the King's Road. The banner was created for the Sex Pistols last British concert, on Christmas day 1977, which was a special gig for the children of striking firefighters. It is printed with a George Cruikshank cartoon and includes a lengthy text which references the anarchic creed of the band. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.86-2002 |
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| Record created | October 21, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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