Women on Wheels: Vivienne Westwood and Bentley Team Up in Milan
Fine clothes. Fabulous shoes. Fancy cars. Many fashionistas love them all, and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood is no exception. The English designer is collaborating with famous English automaker Bentley Motors on the former’s new exhibition, opening tonight at Milan’s Palazzo Reale. This is the touring version of her exhibit, which was first presented in London at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The bond between Bentley and Westwood was on display as well at an exclusive event in Düsseldorf, during Germany’s Fashion Week, and celebrated a partnership based on similar appreciation of bold lines and personal flair - two elements that are crucial in high performance cars, as well as high fashion clothing.
At the Italian event, Bentley Milano will be showing off a bright yellow version of their 1992 Continental convertible, as well as providing Ms. Westwood with a Bentley Continental Flying spur for her in-town driving as well as offering her the experience of riding in their most recent cabriolet, the Continental GTC.
The exhibition represents the second such collaboration for these two quintessentially British names. The first was a show last year, “Vivienne Westwood Shoes 1973 – 2006? held at another Milan-area location, the Castello Visconteo Sforzesco in Vigevano. This year’s event, which coincides with the opening of Women’s Fashion Week in Milan will close at the end of Men’s Fashion Week, in February of next year.
The Bentley Continental GTC that Westwood will ride in at least once during her time in Milan, comes with a price tag of roughly $190,000.
