Dame Vivienne Westwood’s final request before her death was that her funeral be adorned with a £45,000 tartan at her local church in Derbyshire in an intimate family-only ceremony.
The punk icon, who died on December 29 at the age of 81, was buried in her hometown of Tintwhistle, where she grew up.
Harris Tweed Scotland’s Mark Greig and his wife Julie were asked if they would help fulfill the fashion designer’s latest request for 45 yards of Harris Tweed fabric to be used to decorate the church.
Dame Vivienne told her closest friend, British designer Jeff Banks, that she wanted the church where her funeral service was to be held to be draped in her beloved Harris Tweed with MacLeod tartan, which she used in several of her collections.
Dame Vivienne Westwood died peacefully aged 81 on December 29 before her funeral was held earlier this month
Christ Church in Tintwistle, Derbyshire was decked out in 45m of tartan for the private funeral of Dame Vivienne
The church was adorned with oodles of the fabric before some was smuggled away by locals wanting a memento of their hometown hero.
Dame Vivienne is credited with changing the fashion world forever when she stormed the stage with her punk attire and unique talent – and often used tartan in her work.
Mr and Mrs Greig told how they drove from their home in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, to Burnley in Lancashire to deliver the fabric in person after a courier service failed them.
They received an email through Hogmanay from Mr Banks’ PA, who said they were urgently trying to find Harris Tweed for the service, which took place earlier this month.
Mr Greig said: “That then led to this wonderful story that unfolded.
“Vivienne Westwood’s last request was that she have a small family funeral.
“It wasn’t meant to be lavish, it wasn’t meant to get all the press, it was just for the family in a small, run-down church.
“She wanted the church to be decked out in her favorite Harris tweed.”
Based in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, the company is independently run by Harris Tweed, who allow the couple to use their brand name.
Around £45,000 has been spent decorating Christ Church in the village where Vivienne Westwood grew up.
The fabric was draped along the upper levels of the church with Harris Tweed cushions placed on pews for the immediate family.
MacLeod tartan from the Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2014/15 collection
The Vivienne Foundation, a non-profit founded in late 2022 by Dame Vivienne, her sons and granddaughter, will be established next year to “honour, protect and continue the legacy of Vivienne’s life, design and activism”.
Paloma Faith, pictured in MacLeod tartan in 2014, wears an outfit designed by Dame Vivienne
In the days after her death, floral tributes were laid outside a south London house owned by British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood
A well-wisher leaves flowers outside British designer Vivienne Westwood’s Worlds End store in Chelsea, west London, December 30, 2022
At the end of each pew stood dried flowers tied in bows with tweed.
Mr Greig said: “What’s really interesting about it… there are hundreds of different tweeds to choose from, but it had to be the MacLeod tartan.
“That was Vivienne Westwood’s favorite Harris tweed.
“Usually you have to buy Harris tweed fabric from the Harris factories, it’s not readily available, especially 45 yards of it, which is a lot of fabric.
“They came to us on Saturday and everywhere was closed.
“No one answered the phone because it’s Hogmanay and Scotland and our phone is pretty much always on.
“Unfortunately we don’t have large stocks of Harris Tweed because there are so many it’s impossible to keep buns and buns,” he said.
“By sheer luck we had a full roll of Macleod Harris Tweed fabric.”
The couple then had to find the quickest way to get the fabric delivered to the church.
Because of the enormous length and weight, they booked a specialized courier for transport, but the company did not arrive.
Mr Greig said: “Alarm bells started ringing.
“We were responsible for providing the fabric for Vivienne Westwood’s funeral and they needed this fabric by Friday.
“We decided that we had to deliver the fabric personally.”
Vivienne Westwood’s family were “overwhelmed” by their efforts to ensure the designer’s wishes were met.
Mr Greig said: “Alison, Jeff Banks’ PA lived in Burnley and we drove there to deliver the roll of fabric in person.
“If we had to get on a plane, we would have.
“They came to the church the following week to spruce up the church.
“I think it cost around £45,000 to decorate the church the way she wanted.”
He said his wife received a thank-you note from Jeff Banks and a necklace from Vivienne Westwood after the funeral.
Mr Greig said: “He said she loved the service and it was her favorite Harris Tweed.”
Jeff Banks, who created the BBC fashion show The Clothes Show in 1986, revealed that the pillows were stolen by locals after the service.
Mr Greig added: “They wanted to leave the cushions in the church so they could be there forever, but locals got wind of it and decided they wanted a little bit of Vivienne.
“The cushions all went for a walk, but the Harris Tweed was recycled and given to a fashion school.
“We supply a lot of Harris Tweed worldwide, but overall we’re just a small company.
“We treated it like any other order we get, but obviously this was very, very special.”
Vivienne Isabel Swire was born on 8 April 1941 in Tintwistle, Derbyshire, the eldest of three children to working-class parents who encouraged their children to be creative.
As a teenager, she disassembled second-hand clothes from markets to better understand the cut and construction, and had an extraordinary belief in her innate talent.
“Honestly,” she once said, “I could have made a pair of shoes when I was five.”
The designer died “peacefully and surrounded by her family” in London’s Clapham area at the age of 81, her representative said.
In a statement, her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: “I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.
“We worked to the end and she gave me a lot of things to go on with. Thank you darling.
The statement from her representatives added: “Vivienne continued to do the things she loved until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book and changing the world for the better.
“She led an amazing life. Their innovation and impact over the past 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future.”
It also said the Vivienne Foundation, a non-profit founded in late 2022 by Dame Vivienne, her sons and granddaughter, will be established next year to “honour, protect and support the legacy of Vivienne’s life, design and activism.” to continue’.