Ben Westwood fears legal dispute could block his final collection with Vivienne
Ben Westwood fears the final fashion collection he worked on with his mother, Vivienne Westwood, may never be released. The collection’s future is uncertain amid a legal dispute between the Vivienne Westwood company and the Vivienne Foundation over rights to the designer’s orb logo and early designs.
Vivienne Westwood died in December 2022, aged 81, and Ben, 63, says a major hurdle remains before he can proceed with the collection. The company filed a copyright and intellectual property claim against the foundation last year; the charity says the designer transferred the copyrights to it before her death. Ben is a director of the foundation alongside his half-siblings and Westwood’s widower.
In short
- Ben Westwood says his mother’s final collection is in limbo.
- A legal dispute centres on rights to designs and the orb logo.
- The Vivienne Foundation says the copyrights were transferred to it.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The foundation’s strongest case is that Vivienne Westwood deliberately transferred the copyrights to it before her death, so respecting that decision would honour her wishes and protect the rights she chose to place with the charity. Resolving ownership through the courts may also be necessary to safeguard the designs and logo from uncertain or unauthorised use.
The case against
The company’s strongest case is that it has a valid claim to the orb logo and early designs, and that control of these rights should be settled before they are used in a new collection. Ben’s concern is that prolonged uncertainty could prevent the release of work he created with his mother, leaving a significant part of her creative legacy unseen.
Explained simply
Vivienne Westwood was a British fashion designer known for designs that drew on punk and other influences. She died in December 2022, aged 81, leaving a fashion business and a charitable foundation that bears her name.
The Vivienne Westwood company and the Vivienne Foundation are in dispute over who owns rights to the designer’s orb logo and early designs. The company has brought a copyright and intellectual property claim; the foundation says Westwood transferred those rights to it before her death. Her son Ben Westwood is a director of the foundation with other family members and her widower.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Vivienne Westwood son’s fears over her last collection”.