Why is Gen-Z Obsessed with Vivienne Westwood?

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Vivienne Westwood first gained notoriety as a designer amidst the punk and New Wave fashion movements of the 1970s and ’80s, creating disruptive clothing to provoke social and political change. She and then-boyfriend Malcolm McLaren set up shop at 430 Kings Road in the early ’70s, and members of the London punk scene used the boutique as a meeting spot. Sex, as it was renamed in 1974 (the store went through several different identities), was filled with leather, latex, fetish wear, and other subversive styles popular among the punks. Westwood has carried her rebellious spirit into her collections throughout her career, often combining punk symbolism with traditional feminine themes, and she’s now considered one of the greatest architects of British style.

While best-known for celebrating subculture, the designer’s work has transcended generations and their trends. Once a pioneer of punk, Westwood’s fashion is now being co-opted by Gen-Z. So how and why did American teens, who claim their primary meeting spots on apps like TikTok and Instagram, come to adopt Westwood’s famous orb logo—particularly in the form of a pearl choker necklace—as the of-the-moment accessory trend?

Perhaps the answer to the “why” is quite simple: because they can. It’s no surprise that when Gen-Z declares something a trend, it spreads like wildfire. With the ins-and-outs of the Internet at their fingertips, Gen-Z has mastered the art of going viral. Algorithms on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube make it incredibly easy to see one particular style over and over again. In the social media echo chamber, FOMO comes in the form of not hopping on the latest street style trend or mastering the next dance challenge. Recently, these digital spaces have been filled with teens sporting Westwood’s Mini Bas Relief Choker.

The pearl necklace is easy to spot thanks to Westwood’s distinct orb logo. First created in the late ’80s, the emblem is a hybrid of the sovereign’s orb and the rings of Saturn. Combining royal British iconography and outer-space symbolism, it represents the importance of the past while nodding towards the future. This is a seemingly perfect fit for Westwood’s brand, as her collections often bring a modern and defiant twist to conventionally upper-class fashions like the corset and the crinoline. Juxtaposing subculture with tradition, the designer remixes sartorial codes in ways that resonate with younger consumers.

In their own way, members of Gen-Z have fused the past and future with their approach to style. As dressing for your Instagram feed becomes the norm, younger generations of fashion fans want clothing that’s universally cool but has stand-out potential. This has spurred a revival of second-hand shopping and vintage scoring, making thrifting and up-cycling pastimes of an in-the-know generation. Celebrities and style stars have also promoted this, putting their own archival finds on display. In 2019, Vivienne Westwood corsets had a revival of their own, with FKA Twigs, Bella Hadid, Megan Thee Stallion, and two Kardashian sisters flaunting their vintage waist-whittling finds.

While the archival corsets go for thousands of dollars, for the younger generation, the pearl choker has become a relatively accessible status symbol. With current versions sold out on the Vivienne Westwood online shop and other main retailers, the Internet natives have turned to scouring the web to score the signature piece. Depop, a fashion marketplace app known for its wealth of one-off vintage items, is a particularly popular place to look for Gen-Z shoppers. The app has nearly become a social media network in its own right following the increased demand for vintage fashion in recent years. By adopting buzzwords like “vintage” or “y2k” and making them essential descriptors of Internet-approved clothing, Gen-Z has reclaimed styles of the past and created a community dedicated to it in the process. It’s worth noting, however, that dupes of designer finds litter sites like Depop, and in-demand pieces like the Westwood choker are sure to be knocked-off.

The sheer popularity of the necklace on social media shows how Gen-Z has taken the age-old and notoriously exclusive concept of high fashion and made it accessible and easy: easy to be inspired by others, easy to access different perspectives and aesthetics, and easy to share in the collective excitement of how cool the one accessory really is. It’s not rebellious for everyone to wear the same thing, but it’s disruptive to have the power to decide what that thing is. When the trend du jour is from a designer as defiant as Westwood, it makes it that much more meaningful. There’s clout in unearthing pieces from the past and wearing them in a modern context without explanation or cause. Moreover, Gen-Z has flipped the switch and is using fashion to foster community online rather than competition.

TikTokers and Instagrammers alike have taken what has always been vital to the fashion industry—in-person advertising and interaction—and made it less important. They’ve learned how to exploit the irresistible temptation of trends via online platforms, creating an endless stream of thrifting hauls and outfit of the day content. Without a doubt, the Internet has helped them shape and amplify the way trends are created and imitated.

The average American teenager on TikTok might order a Westwood pearl orb necklace to look like the girl she saw on her “For You” page. Uploading a video of her wearing it backed by a viral snippet of audio can then make her feel like part of a community. Unlike other influencers, however, Gen-Z is a population of Internet-age consumers that have a disruptive loyalty amongst themselves rather than any particular brand. Their trends move too fast to dwell on any one designer for long. And what’s more punk than having the power?

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