Vivienne Westwood Talks Los Angeles Store, Yves Saint Laurent And Punk-Rock

"Shop Talk" is a weekly column in which we visit some of our favorite stores and highlight their stylish employees. Today, we take a look at Vivienne Westwood's store in Los Angeles.

Retail stores have naturally been an integral part of Westwood's brand. Case in point: her first store in London on King's Road, "World's End," was central to the British punk movement. Similar in style, Westwood's newest store in Los Angeles, reflects her punk heritage in it's funky holdings and wild decore. Below, Westwood herself discusses Los Angeles style, her personal motto and more:

Why did you decide to open a store in LA?
I have fond memories of my time there and especially love the influence of Old Hollywood.

What do you think of personal style in LA?
L.A is glamorous- people like to dress up. I think it is important to dress up. If you dress up, it helps your personality to emerge – if you choose well. I’ve always said that my maxim is: "Dress up more than down," because then you’ll have a great time. I don’t think it matters if you’re wearing the same thing every day, so long as you look better than anybody else, why does it matter? My motto is buy less, choose well and make it last.

How can every woman incorporate a little punk-rock edge into her wardrobe?
My clothes allow women to be true individuals. My customers are the best ambassadors for my clothes- when people discover them; they seem to have an edge. What really touches me is the woman who is chic, she knows herself, doesn’t buy into mass marketing or publicity, but takes the trouble to look good and shows off her best assets.

Who do you think is the next great designer?
I think the true greats in fashion design were the late Yves Saint Laurent, Cristobal Balenciaga and Christian Dior. You can never go wrong in YSL. I do not read fashion magazines or watch TV, so I do not really follow new designers.

What do you think of political style right now?
I believe politicians are delayed. They are ignoring the problem of climate change and not working fast enough to prevent the problems. We are an endangered species.

With awards season upon us, what do you think would make red carpet fashion more exciting?
Something original.

What is the most overrated trend of the moment?
I take my inspiration from books and art and don’t follow trends.

Take a peek in our gallery below for some photos of Westwood's Los Angeles store:

Launch Slideshow

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