Dress Detail of front dress

Vivienne Westwood’s studies of 18th-century fashion inspired her “Statue of Liberty” ensemble, which recontextualized the corset from underwear to erotically-charged outerwear. Westwood’s leather corset pushes up the breasts – as did boned stays – while the shape of the skirt resembles the look of panniers (side hoops). This ensemble is from Westwood's important Time Machine collection.