A Senior Curator Walks Us Through NGV’s Anticipated Vivienne Westwood & Rei Kawakubo Exhibition
Fashion rebels
By Natalie McGowan | 3rd September 2025Fashion lovers, prepare yourselves: this December, Melbourne’s NGV will showcase a world-first exhibition celebrating the visionary minds of two undeniable legends. Vivienne Westwood – the “mother of punk” and one of Britain’s most influential avant-garde designers – and Rei Kawakubo – the groundbreaking founder of Comme des Garçons – may differ in aesthetic, but both have consistently challenged convention and redefined the boundaries of fashion.
More than just garments, this exhibition explores their revolutionary ideas, concepts, and the daring philosophies that have shaped the way we see fashion today. Ahead of its opening on 7 December, we spoke with Katie Somerville, Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles at NGV, to learn more about the highly anticipated Westwood | Kawakubo exhibition.
I’d love to know how this exhibition came about — what inspired the idea to bring Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo together in one showing?
The exhibition came about in part because of the NGV’s extraordinary holdings of the work of both designers (approximately 100 Vivienne Westwood and 300 Comme des Garçons acquired over the last 30 years), and because these women are two of the most visionary and influential designers in recent fashion history. More specifically, the NGV has previously done major exhibitions pairing the work of two artists (Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines, 2019 and Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei, 2015), but this is the first time focusing on two women, and also fashion. This is the first time that an exhibition has brought these two designers together, and Westwood and Kawakubo were the perfect subjects as they share many affinities despite having very different design signatures.
What does the process of putting together a fashion exhibition of this scale typically involve?
The curatorial team has been working on the exhibition for more than two years by the time we made the recent media announcement. Extensive research is required and several major acquisitions have been made in the lead-up to the exhibition. With over 140 works in the exhibition, more than 100 of those are from the NGV Collection, and of those, around 80 have been recently purchased or gifted to the collection. We were fortunate to have substantial holdings of both designers already, thanks to several wonderful donors, which formed the basis of the exhibition. From there, we then worked with international museums, specialist dealers, and the Vivienne Westwood Heritage collection to loan or purchase additional works. We were also very fortunate to be gifted over 40 incredible Comme des Garçons works from Rei Kawakubo herself.
Identifying and formally requesting key loans is also an important part of the process. We have a number of very exciting loans coming from The Met in New York, Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Palais Galliera in Paris, National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, Vivienne Westwood Heritage in London, and key private collections. We have also been working for over a year on a book to accompany the exhibition, and with the exhibition design and conservation teams on everything from the exhibition scenography and choice of mannequins, etc.
What were some of the earliest and most significant curatorial decisions that helped shape the exhibition?
In curating the exhibition, we knew that we didn’t want to follow a straight chronology but rather look at their work thematically to get at the heart of Westwood and Kawakubo’s design philosophies and to create more of a dialogue. We wanted to show those intersecting threads in their practices, but also how, despite drawing on similar sources of inspiration or tackling similar issues, the outcomes were very different.
Both designers challenged ideas around beauty, gender, and how clothing should function. How are these ideas reflected throughout the exhibition?
The themes – Punk and Provocation, Rupture and Reinvention, The Body and The Power of Fashion – emerge from extensive research, reading, and close study of the works themselves. These ideas run throughout the exhibition, most notably in the sections highlighting the designers’ constant reinvention of tailoring, decoration, and taste, and their distinctive approach to working with the body.
Why do you think Westwood and Kawakubo have left such a lasting mark on the fashion world, and what is it that keeps their influence so alive today?
The exhibition shows us the liberating power of clothes. It shows how Westwood and Kawakubo, by challenging the status quo, have had an enormous impact on what we wear today. It looks at the key ideas underpinning their practices (such as interrogating conventions of beauty, taste, gender, or garment form and function) through examination of some of their most iconic collections.
How did the international loans come together? Were there any pieces you were particularly excited to secure?
Every exhibition always starts out with the ultimate checklist of works. Loans are typically requested 1-2 years in advance of the exhibition opening. We have been very fortunate that we have been able to secure so many iconic and highly desirable works. Being able to draw on many of the best private, public, and archival collections in the world is a dream position to be in as a curator. Even with our own works, it takes enormous discipline to determine the key works that best reflect the key aspects of each designer’s work and convey the themes that we want to explore. A tightly edited story can often be way more impactful and encourage a closer look at the designs.
Beyond the garments themselves, what kinds of archival materials can visitors expect to see and how do they add to the overall experience?
Supporting the garments, there will be runway footage, editorial, and contextual photography, along with magazines, invites, posters, and other fascinating pieces of archive material. These help to set the work of Westwood and Kawakubo in a broader context of the times in which they work and a more layered approach to understanding their work and the ideas that inform them.
Do you have a favourite moment, gallery, or piece in the exhibition that stands out to you?
Too many to mention, but seeing the two designers work in dialogue around important catalysts such as punk, traditional tailoring, and the 18th century has produced very compelling spaces. There are also iconic works known to us through their association with Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this exhibition to life?
Truthfully, one of the hardest things has been keeping this tremendous exhibition a secret for two years while still in development, before we announced it publicly.
Is there anything else you’d like to add or highlight about Westwood | Kawakubo?
Having Rei Kawakubo’s support of the exhibition is extraordinary, and to receive such a large donation of recent work is an incredible legacy that will live on long after this exhibition. In many ways, her support also acknowledges the NGV’s longstanding commitment to her practice and dedication of major donors like Takahashi Takamasa, who has gifted so many of her early works to the collection. We want visitors to be blown away by the creativity, originality, and vision of these women. The freedom of approach that each of them has brought to making has given us fashions that are profound and powerful, and incredibly breathtaking. We hope that everyone comes away with a greater appreciation and respect for their work.
