Andreas Kronthaler on Activism, Craft, and the Westwood Legacy

Andreas Kronthaler, creative director of Vivienne Westwood since 2022, discusses the maison's fusion of fashion and activism. Born in Innsbruck in 1966, he studied art and design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where he met Westwood in the 1980s. He emphasizes the brand's philosophy of 'Buy Less, Choose Well, Make It Last' and its commitment to environmental and social causes. Kronthaler recently collaborated with amfAR at the Salzburg Festival, creating costumes for the opera Jedermann from original festival pieces, auctioned for charity. He highlights partnerships with Christie's that benefited the Vivienne Foundation, Amnesty International, MSF, and Greenpeace, noting that over 20,000 people visited the pre-auction exhibition. The maison contributed looks to the V&A's 'Marie Antoinette Style' and the Barbican's 'Desire and Decay in Fashion.' A traveling exhibition, 'Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery,' presents jewelry as art objects. Kronthaler values the archive as a creative tool and stresses the interconnectedness of reading, exhibitions, and travel. The interview was conducted by Alessia Caliendo, with images by artist Luca Anzalone (born 1995), whose collages combine archival material, photography, Westwood patterns, spray paint, oil, and wire.