In typical Vivienne Westwood style, this season’s collection contained perfectly clashing prints, punk glamour, historical references, and maximalism to the extreme. However, unlike seasons past, this collection contained recycled fabrics and second-hand pieces from the closet of the Creative Director, Andreas Kronthaler, himself.

The Creative Director and design partner to Vivienne Westwood explains that “This collection is my dream. I couldn’t explain it to Vivienne, I didn’t know it, I just had to do it. I walked out the house and thought I was in Paris – something about the sky made me realise how much I wanted to be there.”

Part of Kronthaler’s dream was to use old t-shirts, sweatshirts, vests, and knickers to create something uniquely Vivienne Westwood. The reimagining of these recycled fabrics led to insane creations that have an almost renaissance feel to them.

From corsets as dresses and tops, ruffled shoulders and sleeves, stunning antique-inspired floral prints, and silks to medieval-looking blazers reimagined as dresses and tops, this collection updated renaissance aesthetics to fit in the 21st century.

The collection did this updating by playing with gender roles and gendered fashion through this renaissance-Westwood lens. We see men and women in high platform heels, behind-less champs that show it all, corsets on all genders, and skirts on just about anyone.

The use of recycled fabrics is also being celebrated as a move to promote sustainability in fashion. This Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood collection proved that upcycling and recycled fashion doesn’t have to be boring or minimalist. It can be just as, if not more, exciting and experimental as freshly produced pieces.

This collection kept Vivienne Westwood moving in its punk-renaissance direction, but with this inclusion of sustainability, it seemed to get even punkier. As most recycled fabric collections tend to play it safe and simple, this collection did the opposite and, in a way, stuck it to the industry and proved going greener doesn’t mean boring.