Editing Vivienne Westwood (section)

==Political involvement==
In April 1989, Westwood appeared on the cover of ''[[Tatler (1901)|Tatler]]'' dressed as Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]]. The suit that Westwood wore had been ordered for Thatcher but not yet delivered.<ref name="Thatcher Tatler">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/livingicons/bio10.shtml |title=Biography: Dame Vivienne Westwood|publisher=BBC Arts|access-date=13 February 2010}}</ref> The cover, which bore the caption "This woman was once a punk", was included in ''[[The Guardian]]'' list of the best ever UK magazine covers.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/gallery/2008/aug/08/pressandpublishing?picture=336315461|title=Are these the best ever UK magazine covers?|work=The Guardian|date=8 August 2008|access-date=13 February 2010|location=London, England}}</ref>

In September 2005, Westwood joined forces with the British [[civil rights]] group [[Liberty (pressure group)|Liberty]] and launched exclusive limited design [[T-shirts]] and baby wear bearing the slogan ''I AM NOT A TERRORIST, please don't arrest me''. She said she was supporting the campaign and defending [[habeas corpus]]. "When I was a schoolgirl, my history teacher, Mr. Scott, began to take classes in civic affairs. The first thing he explained to us was the fundamental rule of law embodied in ''habeas corpus''. He spoke with pride of civilisation and democracy. The hatred of [[arbitrary arrest and detention|arbitrary arrest]] by the ''[[lettres de cachet]]'' of the [[French monarchy]] caused the [[storming of the Bastille]]. We can only take democracy for granted if we insist on our liberty", she said.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4287446.stm |first=Anna|last=Browning|title=The power of T-shirt slogans|publisher=BBC News|date=28 September 2005|access-date=30 October 2010}}</ref> The sale of the £50 T-shirts raised funds for the organisation. Westwood stated on television in 2007 that she had transferred her long-standing support for the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] to the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]], due to concerns about civil liberties and human rights.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2007-11/071129-viviennes-christmas-speech.aspx |title=New Conservative Vivienne Westwood has something to get off her chest |work=British Vogue |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=30 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430204545/http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/2007-11/071129-viviennes-christmas-speech.aspx |archive-date=30 April 2011 }}</ref>

On [[Easter Sunday]] 2008, she campaigned in person at the biggest [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] demonstration in ten years, at the [[Atomic Weapons Establishment]], [[Aldermaston]], Berkshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=51620&date=&sid=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114050612/http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=51620&date=&sid=|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 January 2013|title=Vivienne Westwood rallies at CND's Easter Monday demonstration in Berkshire|work=British Vogue|date=25 March 2008|access-date=30 October 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Vivienne Westwood Life Ball 2011 e.jpg|thumb|Westwood at the [[Life Ball]] in Vienna in 2011]]
The next year, she cut off her hair to highlight the dangers of [[climate change]].<ref>Olivia Bergin, [http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10681391/Vivienne-Westwood-cut-off-her-hair-to-promote-climate-change.html Vivienne Westwood Cut Off Her Hair To Promote Climate Change] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311174310/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10681391/Vivienne-Westwood-cut-off-her-hair-to-promote-climate-change.html |date=11 March 2014 }}, ''The Daily Telegraph'', 6 March 2014.</ref> She also appeared in a [[PETA]] ad campaign to promote [[World Water Day]] and vegetarianism, drawing attention to the meat industry's water consumption.<ref name=peta>{{cite web|first=Bibby |last=Sowray|url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10704917/Vivienne-Westwood-takes-a-shower-to-promote-World-Water-Day.html| title=Vivienne Westwood Takes a Shower To Promote World Water Day|website=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 March 2014|access-date=7 September 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318223906/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG10704917/Vivienne-Westwood-takes-a-shower-to-promote-World-Water-Day.html|archive-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, Westwood bought a controlling interest in the [[equity crowdfunding]] platform [[Trillion Fund]], which was dissolved in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.climateactionprogramme.org/news/vivienne_westwood_becomes_ambassador_for_clean_energy_trillion_fund |title=Vivienne Westwood becomes ambassador for clean energy Trillion Fund|publisher=Climate Action Programme|date=17 February 2016 |access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref>

In January 2015, Westwood stated her support of the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]]: "I am investing in the Green Party because I believe it is in the best interests of our country and our economy".<ref>{{cite web|title=Vivienne Westwood: Vote Green 2015!|url=http://greenparty.org.uk/news/2015/01/23/vivienne-westwood-vote-green-2015!|website=News|publisher=Green Party of England and Wales|access-date=23 February 2015|date=23 January 2015}}</ref> It was reported that she had donated £300,000 to fund the party's election campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowburn|first1=Ashley|title=Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood to donate £300,000 to the Green party|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/01/fashion-designer-vivienne-westwood-donate-300000-green-party|access-date=23 February 2015|work=New Statesman|date=23 January 2015}}</ref> In February 2015, Westwood was announced as the special guest on the Greens' ''We Are The Revolution'' campaigning tour of English universities in such cities as Liverpool, Norwich, Brighton and Sheffield.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sherriff|first1=Lucy|title=Vivienne Westwood To Tour Universities To Promote Green Party To Students |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/20/vivienne-westwood-tour-universities-promote-green-party-students_n_6719348.html|access-date=23 February 2015|work=HuffPost|date=20 February 2015}}</ref> On the eve of the tour, Westwood was excluded from appearing by the youth wing of the Green Party due to her avoidance of UK corporate tax, which contravened party policy on usage of off-shore tax havens.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11487630/Vivienne-Westwood-defrocked-by-Greens-over-tax-avoidance.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11487630/Vivienne-Westwood-defrocked-by-Greens-over-tax-avoidance.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Vivienne Westwood defrocked by Greens over 'tax avoidance'|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 March 2015|access-date=21 February 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She later condemned this as "a wasted opportunity" for the Greens. "I wasn't pure enough for them", she wrote in her online diary.<ref name="climaterevolution.co.uk">{{cite web |url=http://climaterevolution.co.uk/wp/2015/06/09/viviennes-diary-april-2015|title=Climate Revolution|publisher=Climate Revolution|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref> Subsequently, Westwood switched her support to campaigning on behalf of Nigel Askew, the 'We are the Reality Party' candidate opposing [[UKIP]] leader [[Nigel Farage]] in the [[Kent]] constituency of [[South Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)|Thanet South]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://climaterevolution.co.uk/wp/hero-post/viviennes-diary-may-2015|access-date=25 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626115402/http://climaterevolution.co.uk/wp/hero-post/viviennes-diary-may-2015|archive-date=26 June 2015|title=Vivienne's Diary}}</ref> Askew polled 126 votes in the election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000948|title=Thanet South parliamentary constituency – Election 2015|publisher=BBC News|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref>

In June 2017, Westwood endorsed Labour leader [[Jeremy Corbyn]] for the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]]. She said, "I'm excited about the Labour Party manifesto because it's all about the fair distribution of wealth." She added "Jeremy clearly wants to go green and creating a fair distribution of wealth is the place to start, from there we can build a green economy which will secure our future."<ref name="dazeddigital">{{cite magazine |last=Sisley|first=Dominique|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/36157/1/vivienne-westwood-comes-out-in-support-of-jeremy-corbyn|title=Vivienne Westwood comes out in support of Jeremy Corbyn|magazine=[[Dazed]] |date=2 June 2017|access-date=1 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |last=Doig|first=Stephen |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/mens-style/vivienne-westwood-backs-jeremy-corbyn-latest-london-mens-ss18/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/mens-style/vivienne-westwood-backs-jeremy-corbyn-latest-london-mens-ss18/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Bill Bailey on happiness, Jeremy Corbyn and how turning 50 changed him|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=12 June 2017|access-date=1 May 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In November 2019, along with other public figures, Westwood signed a letter supporting Corbyn that described him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, [[xenophobia]] and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 UK general election]].<ref name="nme">{{cite news |last=Neale|first=Matthew |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/new-letter-supporting-jeremy-corbyn-2568734|title=Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more |work=NME|date=16 November 2019|access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref>

===Active Resistance manifesto===
In a 2007 interview, Westwood spoke out against what she perceived as the "drug of [[consumerism]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/may/12/shopping.fashion1|work=The Guardian|location=London, England|title=All hail the Queen|first=Emma|last=Brockes|date=11 May 2007|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> She said: "I don't feel comfortable defending my clothes. But if you've got the money to afford them, then buy something from me. Just don't buy too much" in response to claims that [[anti-consumerism]] and fashion contradict each other.<ref name="observer-dec-07">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/dec/02/fashion.women|work=The Guardian|location=London, England|title=I don't feel comfortable defending my clothes. But if you've got the money to afford them, then buy something from me. Just don't buy too much|date=2 December 2007|access-date=9 April 2010|first=Carole|last=Cadwallader}}</ref>

Later, Westwood created a manifesto called ''Active Resistance to Propaganda'', which she said deals with the pursuit of art in relation to the human predicament and climate change.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://activeresistance.co.uk|title=Climate Revolution : Vivienne's Diary|website=Activeresistance.co.uk|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref> She claimed that her manifesto "penetrates to the root of the human predicament and offers the underlying solution. We have the choice to become more cultivated and therefore more human – or by muddling along as usual we shall remain the destructive and self-destroying animal, the victim of our own cleverness."<ref>Vivienne Westwood, [http://activeresistance.co.uk/getalife/manifesto.html Manifesto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307195539/http://activeresistance.co.uk/getalife/manifesto.html |date=7 March 2011 }}, activeresistance.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2016.</ref> The manifesto was read by Westwood at a number of venues including the [[London Transport Museum]] and distributed after readings as a booklet.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Westwood |first1=Vivienne |title=Vivienne Westwood's manifesto – Active resistance to propaganda |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/may/12/fashion.features4 |work=The Guardian |date=12 May 2007 |language=en}}</ref> It was then written in the form of a play and staged at the Bloomsbury Ballroom by [[Forbidden London]] and [[Dave West (entrepreneur)|Dave West]] on 4 December 2009. It starred [[Michelle Ryan]] and a number of other British actors.<ref>Vivienne Westwood's – 'Active Resistance to Propaganda'- Forbidden London- part 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc4hQ47jbyY] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508215023/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc4hQ47jbyY&gl=US&hl=en|date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

Westwood's manifesto was criticized by eco-activists who claimed that despite her calls to save the environment, she herself made no concessions to making her clothing or her business eco-friendly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/vivienne-westwoods-climate-revolution-charter-criticized|title=Vivienne Westwood's Climate Revolution Charter: A Critique|work=Eluxe Magazine|date=28 March 2013|access-date=2 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403150015/http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/vivienne-westwoods-climate-revolution-charter-criticized/|archive-date=3 April 2014}}</ref>

===Julian Assange and WikiLeaks===
Westwood was a longtime supporter of [[Julian Assange]] and [[WikiLeaks]], and called for his release from custody.<ref>{{Cite web|date=30 April 2020 |title=EXCLUSIVE interview: Dame Vivienne Westwood & Joe Corré in defence of Julian Assange|url=https://the-shortlisted.co.uk/vivienne-westwood-joe-corre-defence-julian-assange-interview/|access-date=26 July 2021|website=The Shortlisted|language=en-GB}}</ref> In June 2013, Westwood dedicated one of her collections to [[Chelsea Manning]] and at her fashion show she and all her models wore large image badges of Manning with the word "Truth" under her picture. In 2012, she used her appearances at [[London Fashion Week]] to push for Assange's release by presenting "I am Julian Assange" t-shirts.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Snead|first1=Elizabeth|date=29 October 2012|title=Vivienne Westwood Aids WikiLeaks With 'I Am Julian Assange' T-Shirts (Poll)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/vivienne-westwood-wikileaks-julian-assange-t-shirts-384039/|access-date=26 July 2021|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en-US}}</ref> She visited him several times during his [[Right of asylum|political asylum]] at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and in [[HM Prison Belmarsh|Belmarsh Prison]] after his arrest in April 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood visits Assange: "He's a freedom fighter!" |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/12/assa-s12.html |access-date=26 July 2021|website=World Socialist Web Site|date=12 September 2019 |language=en}}</ref> In July 2020, she protested outside London's [[Old Bailey]] court against Assange's possible extradition to the United States by wearing a yellow pantsuit and suspending herself in a giant birdcage. Describing herself as the [[Canary in a coal mine|canary in the coal mine]], she said she was "half-poisoned already from government corruption of law and gaming of the legal system by government".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holland |first1=Oscar |title=Vivienne Westwood suspends herself in giant birdcage to protest Assange's extradition |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/vivienne-westwood-assange-protest/index.html |access-date=28 July 2020 |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

For Assange's wedding to Stella Moris in March 2022 in [[Belmarsh Prison]], the groom wore an outfit based on a Scottish kilt and the bride a dress with a graffiti application, both designs by Westwood and her husband, Austrian fashion designer Andreas Kronthaler.<ref>"[https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/vivienne-westwood-julian-assange-wedding-b2042109.html Vivienne Westwood has designed Julian Assange and his fiancee's wedding outfits]", ''[[The Independent]]'', 22 March 2022</ref>