Vivienne Westwood Flagship (London, UK)

There's no other designer I associate with London as much as Vivienne Westwood, so I knew her store had to be featured somewhere in my ongoing London series. My aim was to go to the original boutique she opened with Malcolm McLaren in 1979 on Kings Road, but as I didn't get to Chelsea this time around, I headed to the next best thing: the main flagship in Mayfair.

Spring 09 RTW collection (images: style.com)

Westwood, who pioneered the Punk look in the 70's with her outrageous designs that included bondage gear, tartan prints, chains, razors, safety pins and dog collar spikes, is living proof that shocking, rebellious and what some would just call pure craziness will get you pretty far in fashion. Westwood herself sums it up best when she was asked to define her favorite style over the years: "‘Punk – you can’t say anything else. I was walking down the street in rubber negligées and high-heel stiletto shoes at a time when other people were wearing denim, flares and platforms. You felt very heroic. I knew I looked good." If you look around, it's still a look that resonates with many today and over the years, she's given us everything from the slogan t-shirt and Union Jack prints to corsets and pinstripe tailoring. Just because she gave Carrie Bradshaw a wedding dress in the Sex and the City movie, doesn't mean she's gone all soft on us either. Besides using Pamela Anderson in her current ad campaign and on the runway, her current (mainline) collection is just as bizarre. And despite the recession, she's one of the few designers who's not focusing on making her collections too commercial.

But as outrageous as she is, Westwood is also a very smart businesswoman Something I might have forgotten if I hadn't entered the flagship. While most people might expect a wild mix of chains, anarchy symbols and cheeky slogans adorning the walls - the store is actually surprisingly 'normal'. It's crammed full of items of course, but everything is organized, the parquet floor smooth and polished, the walls clean and white. She does after all, still want to sell her pieces and the best way to do so, is to avoid being distracted from them.

I don't know why, but I need that crown...

Determined to find anything remotely eccentric, I started browsing the front area, which held a good selection of her Anglomania line (all her labels can be found in this store). The iron racks and shelves also featured a few colorful totes and other accessories such as some really cute umbrellas. The center pieces were big glass cases that showcased a great selection of smaller accessories such as wallets and keychains, though my favorite item was definitely the mini-crown. Another shelf displayed shoes, ranging from sturdier boots to candy-colored jelly heels. More glass cases near the cash desk held a very impressive range of jewelry - if you're a Westwood fan, the accessories alone would make this visit worthwhile.

After a while I did finally start discovering some things that were a bit more unusual. Besides the friendly girl at the cash desk, who I'm sure was partially hired because of all the tattoos on her arms, I spotted a giant book, the pages open to reveal a quote by Aristotle. I flicked through it briefly (no one stopped me) - there were a few runway images and more quotes. I'm not quite sure if this was part of Westwood's Active Resistance manifesto, but it did make for a nice addition to the boutique. I also started noticing that some walls were adorned with framed pictures, ranging from Richard Branson holding up a t-shirt to a portrait of Margaret Thatcher.

Towards the back, I found the Gold Label collection (think asymmetrical dresses and colorful cloaks) along with more jewelry. But the highlights in this area were definitely the big gilded mirrors and boudoir-style changing rooms that each came with a leopard print chair.

Menswear could be found one floor down... and more leopard print, this time on two armchairs near an open fireplace. As with the women's collection, the range included shoes and accessories, placed in glass cases, as well as bags which could be found on nearby shelves. I didn't spend too long browsing, but this area looked even more clean and 'normal' than the ground floor.

Menswear

One thing I would like to note was that the store was slightly overstaffed when I was there, though I'm guessing it gets busier during the weekends. I counted at least seven or eight SA's on the ground floor alone. They were all friendly enough and dressed in Westwood gear - from outside the store you'd get the impression the place was full of customers. Perhaps a clever strategy? In any case, once you're in, you'll realize you're actually surrounded by staff and unfortunately I did feel like I was being watched. Nevertheless, it's still a fun place to go if you're tired of the traditional glitzy flagships. While this store might be relatively 'normal' in the Westwood context, it's still pretty unique compared to other boutiques.

Address: 44 Conduit Street, W1S 2YL London
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-18:00, Thu: 10:00-19:00
Vivienne Westwood Homepage and Online Shop