Westwood’s Granddaughter Departs the Company, Moves to the Vivienne Foundation
Cora Corré, granddaughter of the late Vivienne Westwood, has announced her resignation from the Vivienne Westwood company. She plans to dedicate her efforts full-time to the foundation her paternal grandmother started. The daughter of Joe Corré, Westwood’s son with Malcolm McLaren, Corré had previously worked for the company while also serving the foundation in various capacities. Her new role will see her overseeing the director and Campaign and Projects manager positions at the Vivienne Foundation.
Corré will contribute her skills and experience to the foundation, a non-profit which partners with NGOs to halt climate change, halt wars, defend human rights, and rally against capitalism. The foundation remains a steward for Westwood’s copyrights and intellectual property, most notably her pre-1993 designs.
In an Instagram post discussing her resignation, Corré said, “Vivienne taught me to always stand up for what is right, and I want to stay true to that. Due to a breakdown in relations between the Vivienne Westwood company and the Vivienne Foundation, my role within the company has become untenable.”
Corré went on to write about her future focus on the Vivienne Foundation, stating: “Moving forward, I will focus my energy on honoring my grandmother’s legacy through the Vivienne Foundation and continuing the work that was so important to her. This is not the end but a moment to move on.”
In an email to the Vivienne Westwood staff, Corré provided additional insight into her reasons for leaving, stating there was a “breakdown in communication” that had brought her “much sadness”.
Neither the Vivienne Westwood company nor a spokesperson could be reached for comment regarding the resignation news. Adding to the tensions between the company and the foundation was a recent fiasco involving a collaboration with Palace, done without the foundation’s consultation, according to a statement from the Vivienne Foundation.
The foundation criticized the company for its disregard for Vivienne’s wishes while collaborating with Palace. The foundation said in a statement, “We hope that under the circumstances the parties involved will do the right thing, and honor Vivienne’s wishes.”
The Vivienne Foundation reaffirmed its mission to support various causes that Westwood was passionate about. However, there was no comment from the Westwood company about the aforementioned foundation statement.
In earlier news, materials from the personal collection of Vivienne Westwood managed to garner a total of 754,488 pounds in auctions hosted by Christie’s in late June. The proceeds went to various charitable causes, including the Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Greenpeace.