The political climate, which as of late has been turbulent world-over to say the least, expectedly reigns through at Vivienne Westwood’s SS18 show. Circus-like folk music bounced through the basketball court at Seymour Leisure Centre, London, as messages about environmentalism and strategies to save the world danced across the model’s bodies. Westwood implies money makes the world go down as multiple hand-drawn ‘o’s’ represent the zeroes of billions in which our society revolves around. Contemporary dancers and ballerinas donning apron-like dresses, t-shirts and skirts protest with slogans in bold blacks on clean whites. Skirt-suits, v-neck jumpsuits and especially the spades playing card suit, feature prominently; the latter being a victim of Westwood’s decon-recon, as the ace of spades here signifies our reaping of the earth. Playful clown-faced acrobats, flattened water bottles as foot-wear, fish-net stockings full of litter and redesigned suits (the deck of cards-kind as well as sartorial), made light of the collection to those unknowing. Those clued in however, discern that the designer is still firmly holding a middle finger up to the conglomerates of the world.

Words: Emily Simpson