V&A Dundee is set to celebrate the provocative legacy of Vivienne Westwood with a major new exhibition dedicated to one of the house’s most enduring signatures: jewellery. Opening in spring 2027, Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery will mark the first UK exhibition to focus exclusively on the designer’s radical approach to adornment, tracing how accessories became central to the visual language of one of fashion’s most rebellious voices.
Bringing together four decades of archival pieces, the exhibition will explore how Westwood transformed jewellery from decorative accessory into a vehicle for political attitude, cultural commentary, and unmistakable brand identity. From punk-inflected safety pins to pearl strands charged with irony, her designs consistently challenged conventional notions of luxury, femininity, and status. At the heart of the exhibition is the house’s iconic orb motif, a symbol that fused regal tradition with futuristic provocation, eventually becoming one of fashion’s most instantly recognizable emblems.
Curated in collaboration with the Vivienne Westwood team, the presentation promises a richly immersive experience, pairing jewellery with archival garments, runway footage, graphic installations, and visual material that situates each piece within the broader creative universe of the brand. Rather than isolating accessories as secondary objects, the exhibition frames them as integral expressions of Westwood’s design philosophy, extensions of the same irreverence, theatricality, and cultural critique that defined her clothing.
The exhibition will also highlight the fashion house’s longstanding connection to Scotland, a recurring source of inspiration throughout Westwood’s career. Traditional textiles, tartan references, and looks tied to creative director Andreas Kronthaler’s reinterpretations of Scottish heritage will form part of the narrative, underscoring the role historical dress and cultural symbolism played in shaping the label’s visual identity.
More than a retrospective of jewellery design, the exhibition stands as a tribute to Westwood’s extraordinary ability to turn ornament into statement, transforming familiar objects into charged symbols of rebellion, romance, and disruption. Opening on March 26, 2027, the show offers a new lens through which to revisit one of fashion’s most uncompromising creative legacies.
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