Vivienne Westwood gets political in her AW18 fashion film for London Fashion Week Men's

In place of a fashion show, the grand dame of anarchic fashion debuted a short film entitled 'Don't Get Killed'
Chloe Street9 January 2018

Never one to shy away from surprising her audiences, Vivienne Westwood once again did the unexpected at her presentation yesterday at London Fashion Week Men's.

The 76-year-old designer chose not to stage her usual fashion show but instead to treat her audience to a two minute and 45 second film called "Don't Get Killed."

The film depicts character models on a photo shoot for Westwood's AW18 unisex collection, marching around waving Union Jacks and EU flags, enthusing about their commitment to the Westwood's army.

Westwood had been teasing the film on social media with weekly releases of tarot-like playing cards on her climaterevolution.co.uk site. She's designed a full pack of the playing cards, which she describes "as a strategy to save the whole world- collect the cards, connect the cards."

Vivienne Westwood AW18 Lookbook

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The cards she released in the lead up to her presentation were all clubs. "Clubs," she explains, "mean War, and this theme runs through our collection. Sow the whirlwind, Reap the whirlwind – a shield of terror designed for Warchild."

The decision to show a film instead of a putting on a high-spec fashion show is in line with Westwood's anti-waste mantra.

Presenting the film she said: "You all know what I’m up to – I use fashion as a vehicle for activism to stop climate change and mass extinction of life on Earth," once again underscoring her longstanding mantra of "buy less, choose well, make it last."

The theme of war and the chants from models carrying EU flags and Union Jacks of "don't get killed, don't get killed" paints a clear political message from the designer, whose brand has been negatively impacted by Brexit.

Westwood is also set to grace the screen later this year in a feature-length film directed by Lorna Tucker entitled Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist.

The film will celebrate the artistry, activism and cultural significance of the designer.

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