Dame Vivienne Westwood isn't a woman who compromises on her image. Just recently she was photographed wearing a headband with the word "Chaos" written on it and plaits in her hair.

On any lesser human being the outfit would have looked ridiculous, but for this 66-year-old style maverick it was just another day at the office.

Known for her activist beliefs and punk attitude, Vivienne Westwood's impact on fashion cannot be understated.

From her first foray into clothing design in Malcolm McLaren's shop, Sex, now known as World's End, to the high octane catwalk shows she now produces each year, her designs have always shocked and pleased in equal measure.

Her association with bands such as the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls, as well as her penchant for using safety pins, bondage styles and pornographic slogans on garments, cemented Westwood's position as a fashion innovator rather than follower.

By the 1980s, however, Westwood had turned her attention away from street culture and towards heritage styles and fabrics, which she continues to work with to this day.

Over the years Westwood has developed relationships with many traditional manufacturers including Harris Tweed - she even named a catwalk collection after the company in 1987.

Westwood has also designed her own tartan, named after her current husband Andreas Kronthaler, and has long been a supporter of the traditional Scottish fabric. More recently she has collaborated with British artist Tracey Emin and was awarded an honorary degree at both Dundee University and Heriot Watt University this year.

She launched her anti- consumerist manifesto last year, which has attracted praise as well as criticism.

With collections now including her Red Label, Black Label and the Anglomania Collection, Westwood now sells everything from corset dresses to sunglasses and perfume.

Her Glasgow store, although based in the somewhat genteel environment of Princes Square, will undoubtedly be filled with her traditional tailoring and anarchic designs.