Exploring the parallel lives of Vivienne Westwood and cult manga NANA

“Vivienne Westwood, the Sex Pistols, Seven Stars, coffee with milk and strawberry cake. And Ren flowers. Nana’s favorite things never change.” This iconic line from Ai Yazawa’s NANA sparked a revolution in the early 00s for young fashion fans in Japan. Yazawa’s revolutionary manga series was hugely influenced by the early work of Westwood, and while the intersection of English punk and Japanese manga may seem an unlikely one, those who’ve read NANA know that Westwood’s rebellious spirit is not only reflected in the protagonist’s style, but deeply infiltrates Yazawa’s narrative choices, too.

Originally running from May 2000 to May 2009, NANA follows the story of two girls called Nana – Nana Osaki and Nana “Hachi” Komatsu – polar opposites despite having the same name. Komatsu chases one crush after the other, dreaming about meeting her prince charming, while Osaki builds her own punk band in hopes of making it as a singer. The two meet during their journey to Tokyo, their lives intertwining in love, friendship, happiness and heartbreak. Praised for its intricate characterisation, beautiful artwork and heartbreaking storytelling, Yazawa also drew her characters in actual Vivienne Westwood designs, greatly contributing to the series’ success. By the turn of the millennium, Westwood was already a significant figure in Japanese fashion – her first-ever international store opened in Tokyo in the 80s, and by the 90s and 00s, fashion-forward districts like Harajuku were saturated with her designs.

As experts in their respective fields, Westwood and Yazawa are artists who’ve transformed their industries. While Westwood brought forth a wave of aesthetic innovation, Yazawa defied traditional shoujo manga tropes by showcasing the complex nature of friendship. But before dedicating her life to manga, the illustrator originally studied to become a stylist at the Japanese fashion school Osaka Mode Gakuen. Her background in fashion formed the basis of her later work, with her series Gokinjo Monogatari and Paradise Kiss both centered around wannabe fashion designers, while her love for Westwood was cultivated in college.

“Westwood’s designs are beautiful even when simply hung up, but they become infinitely more beautiful when worn on the human body,” Yazawa said in The World of Ai Yazawa’s NANA, the 2025 book commemorating the 40th anniversary of her career. It’s rare to find fashionable styling in manga, where oftentimes characters are drawn with a single outfit to minimize the illustrator’s workload. This is the opposite case for Yazawa, who always prioritised the balance between colour and silhouette in her characters’ clothing. “It’s a shame that I had to quit school, and I was frustrated at myself for not being able to manage both,” Yazawa says. “But I decided to pour everything I wanted to do into manga, since I could design and style within my work as well.”

In NANA, Westwood outfits populate Nana Osaki’s wardrobe, the protagonist most associated with the British brand. She wears Westwood’s signature Rocking Horse platforms as well as the heels Naomi Campbell famously toppled from on the AW93 runway. She’s gifted a ‘Love Jacket’ by a fan (a crimson blazer with heart shaped lapels) and her closet is filled with more tartan jackets and corset tops, while her jewellery box features the iconic three row pearl drop choker. The first thing Nana Komatsu notices about Osaki is the limited edition armour ring on her finger, the character’s signature Westwood piece and a way for Yawaza to establish the hardened armour she puts up against the world. Elsewhere, one of the most iconic items from the series is Shinichi Okazaki’s Orb pendant lighter, which were originally produced in limited quantities in the 90s and can fetch upwards of £3000 on resale platforms today.

Thanks to these signature pieces, many NANA fans have become Vivienne Westwood jewellery collectors, with unboxing videos regularly going viral on TikTok and Instagram, like this one from J-fashion enthusiast Addy Harajuku. Elsewhere, fashion YouTubers like Lisa Fevral make longform content dedicated to NANA and its style influence. “NANA influenced how I viewed aesthetics for a long time, until I started to see a lot more styles and complexity in high fashion collections,” Fevral says. “It’s probably one of the first pieces of media that I remember sticking with me in terms of fashion.”

Fashion merchandiser and NANA stan Kassidy Law discovered her personal style through Vivienne Westwood’s involvement in the manga. To her, the way NANA’s fashion reflects not only the characters’ tastes but their struggles and aspirations is extremely significant. “This connection highlights how art reflects life, illustrating how fictional elements can transcend into our everyday experiences and become powerful sources of inspiration,” Law says.

For other budding artists in the fashion industry, NANA has been greatly influential on their creative journeys. Fashion designer Paris Zhuang says the incorporation of Westwood’s style makes NANA’s characters realistic, and their embodiment of the designer’s ideals makes the garments come to life. “Good fashion design always tells a story,” Zhuang says. “The interrelationship of the two is a way to inspire not only designers, but also everyone else to connect with fashion on a personal level, showing how a simple garment can present someone’s attitude, lifestyle, or story.”

Up until recently, these fans of the series have long-thought Yazawa’s love of Vivienne Westwood unrequited – that was, until, the manga’s 25th anniversary this year. On October 6, Vivienne Westwood’s official Instagram confirmed that a collaboration between the British brand and Japanese manga was in the works. The first part of the link-up was an exclusive NANA 25th Anniversary Edition manga that features an original cover illustration by Yazawa depicting the two heroines on the Vivienne Westwood catwalk. The second part was a collection of clothing and accessories, all of which include exclusive packaging that features classic manga panels from NANA. Jewellery items consist of leather chokers, armour rings, and pearl necklaces, while clothing items include tartan corsets and dresses, Rocking Horse platforms, and Charm Frame purses. The highlight of this collection is a re-release of the Giant Orb lighter, limited to 250 units globally and engraved with its unique edition number.

The collection sold out immediately online, and fans lined up hours before stores opened to purchase items in person. The success of Vivienne Westwood and NANA’s first collaboration shows that the two, like the manga’s protagonists, share a unique, unbreakable bond. “For me, drawing a punk band and drawing Vivienne’s clothes could not be separated,” Yazawa said in a recent interview with the brand. “The collaboration items were designed to match the images of Nana and Hachi, and seeing them actually wearing them suited them both perfectly. Vivienne has always been, and still is, the creator I respect the most.”