There are not many celebrities whose passing creates a sadness that is normally reserved for those one knows personally. John Lennon’s untimely death hurt as did Peter Sellars and Eric Morcambe. I valued their talent and mourned its loss. In the final days of 2022 I have been moved by the death of John Bird, an extraordinary comic genius and Pele, who is undoubtedly a sporting hero even to those, like myself, who have no time for football.
The death of Vivienne Westwood has hit me hard. I did not know her, of course, but admired her talent from afar and loved, to the point of distraction, her fashion creations. She was the inspiration for my Mother of the Bride dress in 2019 when my youngest Bomber married the man of her dreams. Although I could never bring myself to wear anything depicting a Union Jack, her dress which uses the flag remains one of the iconic and outstanding fashion creations of all time in my opinion.
I have a pair of Westwood boots from her pirate collection which my alter ego, Cap’n Darcy, wears at Piratesmas. They are a treasured possession, as are my VW earrings. She created a fashion culture second to none and for that I love her genius. In honour of that genius and in sadness that I can no longer dream of asking her to make me something special I have been wearing those earrings since I heard the news of her death. Rest in Power, Vivienne.
Significantly Different 