Westwood Heritage: Boucher and Beyond

Vivienne and Andreas continued to rework these rich Rococo references into silhouettes, prints, and graphics, throughout their collections. This season, the house’s ‘Spring Cherubs’ capsule collection echoes a continued appreciation for the period, depicting Boucher’s “Spring” (Le Printemps), from the series of the Four Seasons (1753). The joyful Rococo oil-on-canvas painting features cherubs at play among billowing clouds, surrounded by soft pastel blossoms and white doves – applied across signature Vivienne Westwood silhouettes, shoes and accessories. The ethereal print features in sharp shirting silhouettes, including the Violin and Two Button Krall in 100% organic cotton, alongside soft luxurious jersey styles. Signature designs such as the Puppy Corset, archival Roman Three Strap Sandal and Worker Runner Holdall are also reimagined.

Combined with traditional Savile Row tailoring techniques, and a reverence for French couture and corsetry, these designs preserve a dialogue between art, craftsmanship, history, and dress - that remain central to the house’s design codes. Throughout her career, Vivienne returned to Boucher, not simply as a reference to art, and the Rococo period, but a way of thinking about beauty, adornment, and storytelling. His paintings offered a rich vocabulary, which she continually reworked through her own narratives. In Vivienne’s hands, historical imagery became active rather than nostalgic - an evolving vision.