Editing Vivienne Westwood (section)

==Vivienne Westwood companies==
In March 2012, Vivienne Westwood Group reached agreement to end a long-standing UK [[Franchising|franchise]] relationship with [[Manchester]]-based Hervia, which operated seven stores for the fashion chain. The deal brought to a conclusion a legal dispute, which included Hervia issuing [[High Court]] proceedings for alleged [[breach of contract]], after Westwood sought to end the franchise deal before the agreed term.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/business/business-news/vivienne-westwood-group-hervia-agree-683290|title=Vivienne Westwood Group and Hervia agree to settlement|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref> The subsequent transition of some of the Hervia stores to Westwood, along with cost-savings, was credited for a jump in Vivienne Westwood Ltd's pre-tax profits by nearly a factor of 10, to £5&nbsp;million from £527,683 the previous year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02682271/filing-history|title = VIVIENNE WESTWOOD LIMITED – Filing history}}</ref>

The next year, the company announced: "Over the last year margins have been under pressure due to the nature of wider retail conditions."<ref>{{cite web|author=Russell Lynch |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/vivienne-westwood-profits-fall-after-disappointing-year-9656589.html|title=Vivienne Westwood profits fall after 'disappointing' year|website=Evening Standard|date=8 August 2014|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Vivienne Westwood.JPG|thumb|left|''Vivienne Westwood'' store in Cardiff in 2014]]
Shortly after, Westwood announced she would cease further expansion of her business as a way of tackling environmental and sustainability issues.<ref>{{cite news|last=Binnie|first=Isla|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-milan-fashionweek-westwood-idUSBRE95N1F320130624|title=Designer Vivienne Westwood shuns expansion, big wardrobes|work=Reuters|date=24 June 2013|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref>

In March 2015, the company announced that it would open a three-story outpost in midtown [[Manhattan]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|author=Khanh T.L. Tran|url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/vivienne-westwood-opening-first-boutique-in-new-york-10100424|title=Vivienne Westwood Opening First Boutique in New York|website=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=21 February 2016|date=23 March 2015}}</ref> This was followed by a new {{convert|3200|sqft|adj=on}} shop in a building also housing the company's offices and showrooms in [[Rue Saint-Honoré]] in Paris, opening in early 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.fashionmag.com/news/Vivienne-Westwood-coming-to-Rue-Saint-Honore-in-Paris,437671.html|title=Vivienne Westwood coming to Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris|website=Uk.fashionmag.com|access-date=21 February 2016|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307053512/http://uk.fashionmag.com/news/Vivienne-Westwood-coming-to-Rue-Saint-Honore-in-Paris,437671.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of December 2015, Vivienne Westwood Ltd operated 12 retail stores in the UK, including an outlet store in [[Bicester Village]]. There were 63 Westwood shops worldwide including nine in China, nine in Hong Kong, 18 in South Korea, six in Taiwan, two in Thailand, and two in the United States. (no reference, I don't think this is correct) 

In 2025, the Vivienne Westwood website lists 102 store locations in 17 countries. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.viviennewestwood.com/storelist/ | title=All Store Locations &#124; Vivienne Westwood® }}</ref>

===Tax fine and perception===
In August 2011, Westwood's company Vivienne Westwood Ltd agreed to pay £350,000 in tax plus interest of £144,112, due in 2009, to [[HM Revenue and Customs]] (HMRC) for underestimating the value of her brand. Her UK business had sold the rights to her trademarks to [[Luxembourg]]-based Latimo, which she controlled, for £840,000 in 2002. After examining the deal, HMRC argued that the brand had been undervalued. The £2&nbsp;million valuation triggered additional taxes.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news |last=Tyler|first=Richard|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8728580/Vivienne-Westwood-undervalues-itself.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8728580/Vivienne-Westwood-undervalues-itself.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Vivienne Westwood undervalues itself|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=21 February 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Accounts for Vivienne Westwood Ltd showed that since 2011, the company had continued to pay £2&nbsp;million a year to [[offshore company]] Latimo for the right to use Westwood's name on her own fashion label.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11457076/Vivienne-Westwood-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-offshore-tax-base.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/green-party/11457076/Vivienne-Westwood-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-offshore-tax-base.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Vivienne Westwood accused of hypocrisy over offshore tax base|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=21 February 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Latimo, which Westwood controlled as the majority [[shareholder]] in her companies, was set up in 2002.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> Such arrangements, while legal, were against the [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] policy to eliminate use of [[tax haven]]s such as Luxembourg.<ref>{{cite news|author=Nicola Woolcock |url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/money/article/vivienne-westwood-accused-of-2m-tax-avoidance-d0pn5nl6xzf|title=Vivienne Westwood accused of £2m tax avoidance|newspaper=The Times|date=9 March 2015|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref> In March 2015, Westwood said, "It is important to me that my business affairs are in line with my personal values. I am subject to UK tax on all of my income".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2015/03/11/vivienne-westwood-responds-to-tax-avoidance-claims|title=Vivienne Westwood Responds To Tax Avoidance Claims|website=British Vogue|date=11 March 2015|access-date=21 February 2016}}</ref> Later in 2015, she said that she had restructured her corporate tax arrangements to try to align them with the Green Party's policy.<ref name="climaterevolution.co.uk"/>

=== Criticism by ''Eluxe Magazine'' over sustainability of Westwood clothing ===
In 2013, [[Sustainable fashion|sustainable luxury fashion]] publication ''Eluxe Magazine'' accused Westwood of using the [[green movement]] as a [[Greenwashing|marketing tool]] because some of Westwood's fashion and accessories lines are made in the [[People's Republic of China]]. These were found to include [[PVC]], [[polyester]], [[rayon]] and [[viscose]], all derived from harmful chemicals.<ref>{{cite news |author=James Lyons |date=15 March 2015 |title=Westwood's anti-fracking frock turns toxic |url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/People/article1531160.ece |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317100044/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/People/article1531160.ece |archive-date=17 March 2015 |access-date=21 February 2016 |newspaper=The Sunday Times}}</ref> ''Eluxe'' wrote that, despite Westwood's statements that consumers should 'buy less', her company produces nine collections a year compared to the average designer's two. ''Eluxe'' accused Westwood of using unpaid [[intern]]s in her fashion house and making them work over 40 hours per week and wrote that some interns complained about their treatment by the fashion house.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Vivienne Westwood is Not Eco Friendly |url=http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/vivienne-westwood-is-not-eco-friendly |access-date=21 February 2016 |work=Eluxe Magazine}}</ref>