That's Dame To You

In 1992, Vivienne Westwood was awarded the OBE which stands for Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. This award means that the person has made significant contributions to the nation, in this case to British fashion. The award is similar to being knighted, making Westwood's official title "Dame" (like you would call a professor "Dr.").

Receiving the award is amazing already, but what happened when Westwood was met by the paparazzi outside is what made this event memorable. When Westwood went outside to the front of the palace, she twirled for the cameras and, as the photographers were crouching down, everything under her skirt became exposed. This revealed that she was not wearing undergarments, or underwear if you will. Westwood did not mean to do this, she simply did not realize that her skirt would float up in a Marilyn Monroe kind of way. She found the whole ordeal funny and noted that she heard The Queen was amused by it as well.

What I find notable about this is that Westwood was not embarrassed, in fact, this matched the vibe she had established for her brand and it did not discredit her in any way. It must be genius to have such a public persona which cannot be harmed by such things which would be career ending for others.

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One of the photos snapped outside of the palace that day.