A Sussex MP has paid tribute to a fashion legend’s brilliance following her death at the age of 81.

Dame Vivienne Westwood died on Thursday “peacefully, and surrounded by her family in Clapham, south London”, her representatives said.

The pioneering fashion designer made a name for herself on the fashion scene in the 1970s, with her androgynous designs, slogan t-shirts and irreverent attitude towards the establishment.

MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas added her words to the huge outpouring of tributes from across the world.

“Very sad news,” she said.

“Such a legend, a huge inspiration, brilliantly creative and always a committed activist for people and planet - my thoughts are with her family and friends.”

The Argus: Dame Vivienne was also an activistDame Vivienne was also an activist (Image: PA)

Dame Vivienne, who was born in Cheshire in 1941, is largely accepted as being responsible for bringing punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream with her eccentric creations.

Her designs were regularly worn by high-profile individuals including Dita Von Teese who wore a purple Westwood wedding gown to marry Marilyn Manson, and Princess Eugenie who wore three Westwood designs for various elements of the wedding of William and Kate Middleton.

Dame Vivienne’s designs also featured in the 2008 film adaptation of Sex And The City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw.

In addition to her work as a designer, Dame Vivienne was vocal in her support of a number of social and political initiatives including campaigning for the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is fighting to avoid being sent to the US to face charges under the Espionage Act.

During London Fashion Week in 2012, she appeared on the catwalk herself, wrapped in a banner bearing the words “climate revolution” and bearing lots of flesh underneath.

Speaking ahead of her show, which came on the third day of London Fashion Week, she said that showing her clothes simply provided her with a platform to talk about climate change.

The designer was largely responsible for anti-establishment punk fashion and became known for her subversive and eccentric take on traditional British style.

In a statement, her husband and creative partner Andreas Kronthaler said: “I will continue with Vivienne in my heart.

“We have been working until the end and she has given me plenty of things to get on with. Thank you darling.”

The statement from her representatives added: “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.

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

It also said that The Vivienne Foundation, a not-for-profit company founded by Dame Vivienne, her sons and grand daughter in late 2022, will launch next year to “honour, protect and continue the legacy of Vivienne’s life, design and activism”.

She and Malcolm McLaren, one-time manager of punk band the Sex Pistols, opened a shop called Let It Rock – also known as Sex – in the early 1970s where she began selling her outrageous outfits.

The Sex Pistols wore the shop’s clothes to their first gig and Westwood’s first runway show was presented at Olympia in London in March 1981.