Major Exhibition Showcases Vivienne Westwood's Revolutionary Designs Through Teacher's Collection
A chemistry teacher's three-decade passion for fashion icon Vivienne Westwood has become the centerpiece of a major exhibition exploring the designer's revolutionary work. Peter Smithson, who began admiring Westwood's designs as a ten-year-old watching her on television, has amassed an extraordinary private collection that now forms the backbone of "Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary" at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham.
From Childhood Admiration to Comprehensive Collection
Smithson's journey with Westwood's designs began unexpectedly during his Lancashire childhood. "I couldn't understand why Sue Lawley and the audience were lampooning her," he recalled of watching Westwood's appearance on Wogan. "I was looking at the models thinking they were just fantastic looks." This early fascination blossomed into a dedicated collecting passion that has spanned thirty years, resulting in what museum curators describe as an incredible private archive of Westwood's work.
The exhibition features more than forty complete ensembles from Smithson's collection, transforming gallery spaces into a vibrant display of tartan tweed, dazzling harlequin prints, faux-fur coats, oversized velvet crowns, and mirrored fig-leaf tights. "I imagine it's fairly limited who's going to buy and wear one," Smithson acknowledged about some of the more avant-garde pieces. "But it's about fun. She comes up with an idea and it is about producing something that she enjoys."
Breaking Fashion Rules and Regional Connections
Vicky Sturrs, director of programmes and collections at the Bowes Museum, emphasized Westwood's significance as "one of the most daring British designers in British history." Despite moving to London at seventeen, Sturrs noted that Westwood "never lost her northern roots, and her fearless creativity still resonates powerfully with this region."
Fashion curator Rachel Whitworth highlighted the revolutionary nature of Westwood's approach: "She broke the rules of design, experimenting fearlessly with technique, proportion and historical reference. She drew from the past, created for the present and remained sharply conscious of the future." This innovative spirit is evident throughout the exhibition, which pairs Smithson's collection with treasures from the Bowes Museum's own extensive holdings.
Personal Encounters and Family Support
Smithson has met Westwood on several occasions and found her to be "very welcoming, very humble, completely down to earth." He believes she "absolutely despised the global superstardom that surrounded her," preferring to focus on her creative work rather than celebrity status.
Remarkably, Smithson's collecting passion has received full support from his wife Belise, who has never questioned receiving corsets from Japan or fur-trimmed knickers that weren't intended for her. "No, she's never seen it as strange," Smithson explained. "She has never judged it. She gets it. She knows it is part and parcel of who I am." His two sons, aged six and nine, may also inherit this fashion appreciation, with the older already demonstrating "a very good eye for it."
Educational Impact and Future Inspiration
As a chemistry teacher who typically wears conventional shirt-and-tie attire in the classroom, Smithson often faces questions about his Westwood obsession. "The answer is that I just felt a connection to her and her clothes from a very early age," he explained. "When I saw her on Wogan, I looked at the models and they were just high on life ... I wanted to experience that."
The exhibition represents more than just a display of fashion history for Smithson. "Collecting Westwood has given me a lifetime of pleasure," he reflected, adding that seeing others enjoy his collection is particularly rewarding. He hopes the exhibition—which also includes loans from Manchester Art Gallery, Fashion Museum Bath, and other private collections—will inspire future generations of fashion designers to embrace creativity and break conventions.
"Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary" runs at the Bowes Museum from March 28 through September 6, offering visitors an unprecedented look at Westwood's revolutionary designs through the lens of one dedicated collector's thirty-year passion.
