She led a group of 20 students 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 sell for thousands, the lady herself was advocating a more modest approach to spending through recycling and re-wearing the same items.

Better to spend lots on one item than buy many items that will be thrown away after one wear, was her message.

In particular she spoke of imagination being the driving force in human nature and she argued that science only presents one point of view concerning reason rather than the bigger picture of imagination and intelligence.

Westwood, now 67, claimed she could not have written such a manifesto in our current climate as she fears for our future generations who will be left in a world that faces an impending apocalypse.

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

Asked how we should dress as the world comes to an end, she said the desert inspires her next collection and this will fit in with the end of the human race as we know it since oceans will be dried up and most of the earth will become barren and desert-like.

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

Should she have made her manifesto simpler for people to understand, asked a brave audience member.

“Perhaps. I’d like to dramatise it and make it easier to understand. I don’t want to compare myself to Shakespeare but he was putting across a big message using big language.”