Vivienne Westwood by Anabela Becho

Vivienne Westwood: O Salto da Tigresa (The Tigress's Leap) is a tribute exhibition curated by fashion historian and researcher Anabela Becho. Drawing on the philosophical concept of the "Tiger's Leap" by Walter Benjamin, the show explores how Westwood (1941–2022) continuously looked to the past to reinvent the present and assert her distinctive aesthetic and political identity. The exhibition brings together nearly 50 works — including garments, accessories, books, and original illustrations — mapping her creative evolution from 18th-century silhouettes to early 2000s punk provocations, with her radical reinterpretations of British staples like tartan and tweed on full display as sharp social commentary. ModaLisboaHube magazine Curator Anabela Becho, alongside exhibition designer Luís Saraiva and graphic designer Paula Guimarães, transformed MUDE's lower floor into a space where research, critical thinking, and theatrical presentation collide, juxtaposing 18th-century historical garments with Westwood's 20th- and 21st-century reinterpretations. The exhibition also highlights Westwood's decades-long activism — her use of fashion shows as platforms for political and environmental engagement, her fierce criticism of fast fashion, and her role as founder of the Climate Revolution movement — presenting her not only as a designer but as a cultural force whose work was always shaped by non-conformity.