British fashion designer, punk icon Vivienne Westwood dies at 81

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- British fashion designer and punk icon Dame Vivienne Westwood, whose designs heralded the rise of the Sex Pistols and the British punk movement of the 1970s, has died. She was 81.

Her death was reported by her design brand in an Instagram post that said the designer died peacefully surrounded by family in south London.

"Vivienne continued to do the things she loved, up until the last moment, designing, working on her art, writing her book, and changing the world for the better," the post said.

"She led an amazing life. Her innovation and impact over the last 60 years has been immense and will continue into the future."

In the 1970s, Westwood teamed with impresario Malcolm McLaren, who later would form and manage the groundbreaking British punk band Sex Pistols.

Capitalizing on the punk fashion trends that accompanied the explosive popularity of the music, Westwood and McLaren ran the influential fetish-inspired boutique Sex. She and McLaren continued to show their punk fashion collections in the '80s.

One of Westwood's creations, a wedding dress, was featured in the 2008 Sex and the City movie.