Dame Vivienne Westwood has died aged 81.
The fashion designer passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on December 29, 2022. Her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: "I will continue with Vivienne in my heart. We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with."
He added: "Thank you darling."
The legendary designer rose to fame in the 1970s with her controversial punk and new wave styles and went on to dress some of the biggest names in fashion.
A statement released on her official social media page shared the news of her death: "29th December 2022. Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family, in Clapham, South London.
"Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better. She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.
"Vivienne considered herself a Taoist. She wrote, “Tao spiritual system. There was never more need for the Tao today. Tao gives you a feeling that you belong to the cosmos and gives purpose to your life; it gives you such a sense of identity and strength to know you’re living the life you can live and therefore ought to be living: make full use of your character and full use of your life on earth.
"The world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better."
A cause of death was not disclosed.
Westwood is renowned for thrusting modern punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream after working with the Sex Pistols' Malcolm McLaren in the 1970s.
After opening four shops in London, she quickly expanded through Britain and the rest of the world with her innovative designs.
Westwood was equally passionate about a range of political causes, including civil rights groups, climate change and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and wasn't afraid to bring her activism to the runway.
In addition to her work as a designer, Dame Vivienne was vocal in her support of a number of social and political initiatives including campaigning for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting to avoid being sent to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act.
In July 2020, Dame Vivienne sounded a warning over an Assange "stitch-up" while dressed in canary yellow in a giant bird cage. She led a colourful band of protesters chanting "Free Julian Assange" outside the Old Bailey in central London.
Suspended inside the cage, she said: "Don't extradite Assange - it's a stitch-up."
Dita Von Teese's wedding gown and the Westwood Buffalo hat that Pharrell Williams wore to the 56th Grammy Awards are among the many notable commissions she had over the years.
As well as her husband, Westwood leaves behind her sons Ben Westwood and Joseph Corré.
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