Westwood began her career as a teacher, but her life took a new turn when she met her ex-partner Malcolm McLaren, who was the manager of the punk band the Sex Pistols.
Together, they created clothes with slogans such as “Destroy” over swastikas. After the breakup of the Sex Pistols, the pair continued to make clothing inspired by Native Americans, pirates and art, among other things. During the 1980s, Westwood delved into tailoring and haute couture, often with asymmetrical seams and wild combinations of patterns.