Lady Vivienne Westwood’s last request before she died was for her funeral at her local Derbyshire church to be decked out in £45,000 worth of tartan in an intimate ceremony reserved for her family only. was.
The punk icon, who died on December 29 at the age of 81, was buried in her hometown of Tinwhistle where she grew up.
Harris Tweed Scotland’s Mark Greig and his wife Julie were asked if they could help fulfill a fashion designer’s last request to use 45 meters of Harris Tweed fabric to decorate a church.
Mrs. Vivian told her best friend, British designer Jeff Banks, that she wanted the church where her funeral was held to be covered in her beloved Macleod tartan Harris tweed.
Vivienne Westwood passed away peacefully on December 29 at the age of 81, before her funeral was held earlier this month.
Christchurch, Tintwhistle, Derbyshire, was decked out in 45 meters of tartan for Lady Vivian’s private funeral.
The church was decorated with many fabrics, some of which were secretly taken away by locals who wanted souvenirs of their hometown heroes.
Believed to have changed the fashion world forever, Dame Vivienne burst onto the scene with her punk outfits and unique flair, making frequent use of tartan in her work.
Mr. and Mrs. Greig told how they drove from their home in Bothwell, Lanarkshire to Burnley, Lancashire to deliver fabrics after a courier company had let them down.
They received an email about Hogmanay from Mr. Banks’ PA. He said he is urgently trying to procure Harris his tweed for a service that took place earlier this month.
Mr Greig said:
“Vivienne Westwood’s last request was for her to hold a small family funeral.
It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t something to be featured in the mass media, it was just for a family in a small run-down church.
“She wanted to decorate the church with her favorite Harris Tweed.”
The company, located in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, operates independently from Harris Tweed, which allows the couple to use the brand name.
Around £45,000 was spent decorating Christ Church in the village where Vivienne Westwood grew up.
Fabric was draped along the upper floor of the church, and Harris Tweed cushions were placed on the chairs for close family members.
McLeod tartan from the Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2014/15 collection
Founded by Vivienne and her son and granddaughter in late 2022, the non-profit Vivian Foundation will launch next year to “honor, protect and continue the legacy of Vivienne’s life, design and work.”
Photographed in MacLeod Tartan in 2014, Paloma Faith wears an outfit designed by Dame Vivian.
Flowers were laid outside her South London home just days after the death of British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood.
A well-meaning woman hands flowers outside British designer Vivienne Westwood’s World’s End store in Chelsea, West London, 30 December 2022
At the end of each seat, a dried flower was tied in a tweed bow.
Mr Greig said:
Harris Tweed was a favorite of Vivienne Westwood.
“Usually you have to buy Harris Tweed fabric from the Harris factory, but it is not freely available, especially 45 meters of fabric in large quantities.
They came to us on Saturday and everywhere was closed.
“At Hogmanay and Scotland, our phones were on almost all the time, so no one answered the phone.
“Unfortunately, we don’t keep a large inventory of Harris Tweed because there are so many rolls and rolls that it’s impossible to keep,” he said.
“I was lucky enough to get a whole roll of McLeod Harris Tweed fabric.”
The couple then had to figure out the fastest way to get the fabric to the church.
Due to its length and weight, they booked a professional courier to transport it, but the company never arrived.
“The alarm bells started ringing,” Greig said.
“We were responsible for providing fabric for Vivienne Westwood’s funeral and they needed it by Friday.
“We have made the decision that the fabric must be delivered personally.”
Vivienne Westwood’s family has been “overwhelmed” by the designer’s efforts to fulfill her wishes.
Mr Greg said: “Allison, Jeff Banks” PA lives in Burnley and we drove there and handed him a roll of dough.
“If we had to jump on a plane, that’s what we did.
“The next week they entered the church to dress up.
“I think it cost her about £45,000 to decorate the church the way she wanted it.”
His wife received a thank you letter and a Vivienne Westwood necklace from Jeff Banks after the funeral.
Mr Greig said:
Jeff Banks, who set up the BBC’s fashion show The Clothing Show in 1986, revealed that locals were pinching cushions after services.
Greig added:
All the cushions went for a walk, but the Harris Tweed was recycled and donated to fashion colleges.
“We offer a lot of Harris Tweed all over the world, but by and large we are just a small business.
“We treated it like any other order, but obviously this one was very special.”
Vivienne Isabel Swire was born on 8 April 1941 in Tintwhistle, Derbyshire, the eldest of three children to working-class parents who encouraged creativity in their children.
By her early teens, she had taken apart second-hand clothes from the market to better understand cut and construction, and had an extraordinary belief in her innate talent.
“Honestly, I could have made shoes when I was five,” she said.
The designer died in Clapham, London, at the age of 81, “in peace surrounded by her family,” her representative said.
Her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said in a statement: “I will always be with Vivian in my heart.
“We’ve been working to the end, but she gave me so much to do. Thank you, darling.
A statement from her rep said: “Until the last moment, Vivienne continued to do what she loved: design, work on art, write books, and change the world for the better.
“She has lived an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue to be so.”
The Vivienne Foundation, a non-profit corporation founded by Vivienne and her son and granddaughter in late 2022, will launch next year to “celebrate, protect and continue Vivienne’s legacy of life, design and activism.” He also said it was planned. ‘.