The fashion world is often accused of apathy, or worse, when it comes to the serious concerns of the world at large. So let’s be grateful for the ardent, idiosyncratic efforts of Vivienne Westwood to support the causes close to her heart.

Known for her tumbling orange Elizabethan locks, Westwood raised questions when she appeared at her Gold Label show in Paris two weeks ago with a downy, naturally white buzz cut. She later appeared at a social housing demonstration in south London and again at the Women of the World Festival. “Vivienne cut her hair as we must all wake up to climate change,” her spokesperson said. An unusual protest method, perhaps, but would you ever expect the Mother of Punk to campaign against her bêtes noires — which also include unfettered consumerism, light pollution, and fracking — in a conventional way?

Besides, “She wanted to cut the red out for a while and have it white — to show she’s proud of her age.” And alongside her casting of the elegantly craggy musician Leslie Winer for her spring ’14 advertising campaign, it seems the 72-year-old Dame Viv is wholeheartedly committed to promoting the edgier shores of mature style. We approve!