Los Angeles Times

How Vivienne Westwood’s ‘radical’ work inspired ‘Cruella’s’ Oscar-winning looks

Emma Thompson, center, as the Baroness in Disney's live-action "Cruella."

With the death of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times’ entertainment and arts section immediately thought of her seismic impact on pop culture — through both the red-carpet looks that dressed some of Hollywood’s top stars and through the lasting imprint of her distinctive aesthetic. Among the most recent and vivid examples are the Oscar-winning costumes for Disney’s live-action origin story “Cruella” (2021), a glorious riff on Westwood’s vintage punk, with a touch of Alexander McQueen and some Mouse House whimsy to boot.

We caught up with the film’s costume designer Jenny Beavan, who is also behind the looks in this year’s “Mrs.

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