Artwork designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood for a French pianist’s record sleeve has been revealed following her death.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet is releasing a recording of Debussy’s Preludes on Decca Classics on Friday.
The 62-year-old pianist met fashion designer Dame Vivienne, who died in December last year aged 81, when she attended his concerts.
She first designed a suit for a BBC Proms performance in 2002 and went on to create other clothes for him.
Thibaudet said: “At first I was completely star-struck by meeting such a legend of the fashion world, but we hit it off immediately.
“She made lots of clothes for me, and every piece was a true work of art. In fact, that’s how I think of her; not just as a couturier, but as a great artist.”
The sleeve features a distinctive, colourful and highly decorated couture bodice with a photograph of Thibaudet tucked into a wide leather belt.
On the belt buckle is a robin, a motif used in Dame Vivienne’s design work.
Thibaudet said: “I think it’s important to bring fashion like this into classical music, especially when we’re thinking of younger audiences who might think of classical music as alienating and outdated.”
The Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame inductee had thought that Dame Vivienne had “forgotten” about making the artwork because she was “always so busy”.
He added: “I stopped mentioning it. Then a short while ago, after a show of hers in Paris, I was waiting at the entrance to the party to give her a big hug, and offer congratulations, but when she arrived, the first thing she said was, ‘How is the Debussy project going?’. It was completely out of the blue.
“I was thrilled when she came up with this design for the cover. It’s so completely her, and something that I can share with my friends and fans all over the world.
“I feel privileged that she offered me this beautiful design and privileged to have called her my friend.”
The sleeve also includes a tribute from Thibaudet to Dame Vivienne in which he speaks about her creativity and their “shared passion for artistry”.
His last album was 2021’s Carte Blanche, featuring solo piano pieces.
Thibaudet’s playing has featured on Wes Anderson’s 2021 comedy film The French Dispatch, 2005 period drama Pride And Prejudice, and 2007 war romance drama Atonement.
He has been nominated for Grammys for the recordings, Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos 2 & 5 and Ravel: Complete Works For Piano.
He will perform his latest record during his upcoming 2024 tour which has a date in London on January 24 at the Barbican Centre.
Dame Vivienne arrived on the fashion scene in the 1970s, where her androgynous designs, slogan T-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment broke boundaries.
A take on the corset, the “mini-crini” – a shortened version of the Victorian crinoline dress – and Carrie Bradshaw’s bridal dress in the 2008 Sex And The City movie are among her most famous designs.
Dame Vivienne’s funeral in February was attended by a host of celebrities including model Kate Moss, fashion designer Victoria Beckham and rapper Stormzy.
