A Day in the life of Vivian Westwood
For the effortlessly cool and radical fashion designer Vivienne Westwood a day spent in Canberra would start no later than sunrise at the National Arboretum Canberra. Perched upon the highest point at the Arboretum, Westwood splays out on a picnic rug, a thermos filled with freshly brewed coffee in hand to watch the sun as it begins to hit the Canberran landscape. The early parts of the morning are best spent amongst the luscious leafed trees, an assured way of absorbing the local nature.
Energised, Westwood strolls down the hill and across the lake arriving at the bustling suburb of Kingston onto the Bus Depot Markets. Here, she weaves in and out of fashion and arts stalls as an enigmatic force, taking in the latest designs and materials and getting better acquainted with the local materials and styles.
Venturing onwards towards Bowen Park, she notices the sleek silhouette of the Pop Inn and a gathering of trendy folk sipping wine by the lake. Eager to gain a greater sense of the place she decides to join the diverse and convivial crowd, and to enjoy a crisp glass of pinot gris.
Looking for more inspiration for upcoming collections and like-minded eco-conscious peers, Westwood ventures to the National Portrait Gallery (@PortraitAU). Wandering the exhibition halls, she takes a moment to gaze upon her portrait, she marvels at the artistic technique of the portraits and other contemporaries beside her. To cap the day off, Westwood visits the Designer Op Shop Emporium & Café to revel in the comfort and company of vintage pieces and the stylish surroundings.
To cap off the evening, Westwood heads for the tranquil surrounds of New Acton to enjoy dinner at the ultra cool Rebel Rebel with Mick Jagger who has also been in town for the Icons exhibition.
As part of our ongoing partnership with the National Portrait Gallery we present “A view that an icon would love”, a series of Canberra itineraries crafted from the perspectives of the great icons featured in the exhibition ‘From Shakespeare to Winehouse: Icons from the National Portrait Gallery London’ The exhibition is now open!