Iconic British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has died at the age of 81.
She died on Thursday in Clapham, South London, Westwood’s company confirmed.
In a tweet, the official brand account wrote: “Vivienne Westwood died today, peacefully and surrounded by her family… the world needs people like Vivienne to make a change for the better.”
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Westwood, who was also awarded damehood by the late Queen Elizabeth II, was born on April 8, 1941.
Westwood’s designs came to prominence during the punk era of 1970s England, with many of her clothes being donned by punk music pioneers the Sex Pistols.
Westwood’s impact on punk is widely acknowledged, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art‘s Costume Institute going so far as to call her the “Mother of Punk.”
As explained by Vogue, through the 1990s, Westwood’s designs became known for elaborate and luxurious 18th Century European elements akin to those seen by the likes of Marie Antoinette.
Many of these ornate elements can be seen in one of Westwood’s most recognizable pieces: the “Sex and the City” wedding dress. The gold and ivory multi-layered bridal gown was worn by star Sarah Jessica Parker for the 2008 film — and was worn when Parker, as Carrie Bradshaw, was left at the altar.
The gown was so beloved that Westwood released a series of pieces inspired by the dress to commemorate the movie’s 10th anniversary, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
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