Westwood | Kawakubo at NGV Melbourne

For fashion that challenges convention, the NGV International’s latest exhibition Westwood | Kawakubo is well worth adding to your calendar. Opened 7 December 2025, this major show brings together two icons who changed the way we see clothes, the body, and personal expression: Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.

I’ve always found the NGV’s big fashion exhibitions a treat—beautifully curated, easy to wander through at your own pace, and full of talking points. This one promises the same, with more than 140 garments tracing how each designer rewrote the rulebook in her own way.

Westwood & Kawakubo: Why these two designers?

Vivienne Westwood (1941–2022), born in Britain, and Rei Kawakubo (born 1942), based in Japan, both burst onto the scene in the 1970s with ideas that felt wildly new. They worked on opposite sides of the world—but shared a fierce independence and a refusal to accept the status quo.

Both designers used fashion as a way to question social norms and traditional ideas of beauty, gender, and the body. Westwood’s punk energy, political edge, and love of history made her designs instantly recognisable. Kawakubo’s sculptural, rule-breaking silhouettes shifted what clothing could be—sometimes deliberately unsettling, always thought-provoking.

Angie’s review

Westwood & Kawakubo is one of the NGV St. Kilda Rd’s newest exhibitions. I was meeting my friend inside the Waterwall and this was the perfect spot to sit & people-watch. Fans arrived wearing berets, self-style kilts held together with safety pins, chains, belts or wearing reimagined outfits.

I love how visitors to the NGV feel welcome to express their enthusiasm for a show & the best part was seeing fathers with daughters, grandmothers with grandsons and our Seniors, arm in arm just out to enjoy the day.

Why does an art gallery place Vivienne Westwood side by side with Rei Kawakubo? Even though their aesthetics look very different, UK born Vivienne Westwood and Japanese born Rei Kawakubo play parallel roles in fashion history.

Both designers challenge what clothing is meant to be. Westwood attacks tradition by remixing history (corsets, tartan, aristocratic tailoring) in deliberately disruptive ways. Kawakubo questions the idea of beauty and wearability itself, often making garments that resist conventional shape, gender, or function.

They are artists not just fashion designers. They each rejected the mainstream fashion of the day: Westwood grew out of punk, rejecting class hierarchy, monarchy, and capitalist fashion norms. Kawakubo rejected Western ideals of symmetry, glamour, and body-flattery. Both designers radically rethought how clothes relate to the body. Photographs, while wonderful, cannot replace that Wow moment when entering each new room of this exhibition.

If you are my age you might remember seeing celebrities wearing many of these garments in magazines, on the news and on the red carpet so it was a privilege to see so many garments close up. The NGV owns a significant portion of the pieces featured and this emphasises just how lucky we are with the breadth & depth of all the collections of art held by the NGV.

Would I visit this exhibition again? – without a moment’s hesitation. On until 19th of April 2026.For those with mobility issues, there is limited seating inside this exhibition. Consider a wheelchair which are available on loan at the NGV.

On this occasion we had lunch on Level One in the Tea Room. It felt calm & peaceful. The plate of assorted ribbon sandwiches were perfect on a hot day & were only a dollar or two more than the ground level cafe. Bookings advised but staff were very helpful with accommodating us.

Exhibition details

This Westwood | Kawakubo exhibition explores:

Punk and Provocation – Westwood’s rebellious early collections and Kawakubo’s bold challenges to beauty standards.
Rupture – moments where both designers broke with tradition.
Reinvention and the Body – how they pushed garment shapes into new territory.
The Power of Clothes – fashion as autonomy, identity, and social change.

What you’ll see

For Westwood | Kawakubo, the NGV has brought together pieces from its own collection and important loans from international museums and private collectors.

Expect highlights from career-defining collections, striking tailoring, signature punk looks, sculptural dresses, and garments that blur the line between art and fashion.

It’s a substantial exhibition, set across the ground level of NGV International, and designed so you can move through each theme at your own pace.

Exhibition details

Dates: 7 December 2025 – 19 April 2026
Location: NGV International, St Kilda Road
Tickets: Adult $40, Concession $37. Prebooking recommended.

Side Trip

Pair your NGV outing with a stop at:

Tidbits for visiting NGV International

Free entry to the permanent exhibitions;
Free guided walking tours run daily, no booking required;
Audio guides are available at $7;
Photographs are permitted inside the exhibition;
Quietest times are Tuesdays and Thursdays, either at 10 am on opening, or at 1 pm or 3 pm;
A cloak room is available free of charge for coats and small bags;
Enjoy an easy lunch from the cafe and sit on a table out in the gardens;
Other dining options at NGV include the Garden Restaurant or Tea Rooms;
Regular visitors can consider an NGV Membership for various perks;
Travellers Aid at Flinders Street Station can assist with mobility equipment hire if needed.

Accessibility at NGV International

If you’re planning a visit with someone who prefers clear paths, quieter spaces, or easy access facilities, NGV International is one of Melbourne’s more accessible galleries. Here’s what to know:

Getting in and around

Step-free access is available via the main entrance on St Kilda Road.
Lifts operate to all levels, and the exhibition is on the ground floor.
Wide walkways and open gallery rooms make it easy for mobility aids to navigate.

Borrowable mobility aids

Complimentary wheelchairs and mobility scooters are available.
These can be booked ahead by calling NGV Visitor Services—highly recommended during major exhibitions. Phone 03 8620 2222.

Seating and rest points

Many galleries include benches or seating areas if you need a break along the way.

Toilets

Accessible toilets are located on the ground and lower levels.
Family bathrooms with extra space and rails are also available.

Sensory accessibility

The gallery can be busy during peak times. Visiting on weekday mornings is generally quieter.
NGV occasionally offers relaxed or low-sensory sessions—these are usually announced closer to opening.

Companion Card

The NGV accepts the Companion Card for free entry for carers at ticketed exhibitions.
The NGV website provides very useful and detailed information on all of its accessible features. Read it here.

Transport tips

Flinders Street Station is about a 10–12 minute walk.
Tram stops are directly outside, and all the major St Kilda Road routes stop here.

Is this exhibition for me?

If you’re curious about fashion history, social change, or simply enjoy marvelling at the craft behind extraordinary clothing, you’ll likely find this exhibition inspiring. It’s also a great outing with a friend—an easy stroll, lots to chat about, and a café stop at the end if you fancy extending the visit.

As always, I’ll share more details once the exhibition opens.

Heading off on your own Melbourne adventures? Join our Facebook Group and share your stories, ask questions and connect with others for further inspiration.

The Seniors in Melbourne team visited as guests of NGV. All opinions are the writers’ own.

Westwood | Kawakubo at NGV International: What to Know Before You Go