Vivienne Westwood's eclectic spring

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STORY: The venue for Vivienne Westwood's spring/summer 2013 catwalk show could not have been more fitting - the "Grande Dame" of British fashion, credited for bringing modern punk into the mainstream, revealed an exotic and eccentric collection inside the sumptuous British Ambassador's residence in Paris on Saturday (September 29).

The presentation was typical Westwood: theatrical, over-the-top and stunning. Models wore sky-high bouffant hairdos and clown-like makeup. The looks shown on the catwalk traversed several centuries and continents, with references to everything from artist Diego Velasquez to Chinese tea prints and the Ballets Russes to Queen Elizabeth II.

Westwood told Reuters backstage that her latest collection wasn't built around a certain theme. On the contrary, it had transpired in an organic and haphazard manner: "It's inspired by very different things... things that have no connection, but I just started to be inspired."

The collection, entitled "Global Exotic," seemed to be aimed at the globetrotting tribal woman with all its turbans and billowing trousers.

Though Westwood is 71, she still presides over British fashion nearly four decades after entering the industry, presiding over a multi-million pound empire known for its rebellious, tongue-in-cheek approach.

The flame-haired designer began her sartorial career in 1970, teaming up with former partner and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren to shape the iconic look of London' punk movement (i.e. slogan T-shirts, chunky platforms, Union Jacks, safety pins, etc.) via the stock they sold at their avant-garde, alternative clothing boutique on King's Road, West London.