By Lisa Trainer

THERE WERE WORDS of comfort from Dame Vivienne Westwood yesterday as she told a packed Dundee University lecture theatre audience that we faced an apocalypse.

All we need to survive the end of the world, caused by our continuing consumerism and pollution, is to keep our fashion sense and put our “imagination” to good use, said the fashion icon.

Organised by the university as part of the city’s literary festival, Dame Vivienne led a group of 20 students, all dressed in outlandish outfits in homage to her, in acting out her manifesto, which discussed the importance of objectivity and fighting the urge to spend above our means.

Although Westwood’s clothes can expect to go for thousands of pounds, the lady herself was advocating a more modest approach to spending through recycling and wearing the same items again.

Better to spend lots on one item than buy many items that will be thrown away after one wear was the message from the English fashion designer.

Dame Vivienne spoke of imagination being the driving force in human nature and at the end of the discussion argued that science only presents one point of view concerning reason rather than the bigger picture of imagination and intelligence.

Westwood (67) claimed she could not have written such a manifesto in the current climate as she fears for future generations who will be left in a world facing an impending apocalypse.

However, since it was written two years ago and she is now touring the country with her cultural manifesto, she has decided to spread the message to include not just an emphasis on appreciating art but also emphasising the importance of environmental issues.

“Culture progresses according to people disagreeing about what is morally right or not,” said Vivienne.

“Never ceasing to explore—that’s what makes people great. Insight and practice make you better and enable you to have the stamina of a lifetime.”

She mentioned the work of Prince Charles as being crucial in helping to save our planet, adding, “But everyone can do something to help, you don’t have to be rich and famous to make a difference.”