Horrockses fashion, for those of you who are thinking ‘who?!’ were pioneers of off the peg fashion in the 1940s and 1950s. Fot those of you who love popping into shops on the high street, you owe them a lot.
They were the manufacturer of one of the most well respected ready-to-wear labels of their time. Among their staple items were the typical 1950s full skirted dresses, which were at the height of fashion. They managed to balance the idea of manufacturing large quantities of goods, whilst still remainging exclusivity for the brand. They prided themselves on using good quality fabrics (most noteably cotton) with custom designed patters. they styling of the clothes had a slight Parisian feel to them.
The key to the success of Horrockses was the way they printed onto cotton, which was the most popular fabric of the time, although newer man made fabrics were starting to creep in. Not only did they create the printed patterns in house, but they commisioned artists such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Graham Sutherland to design for them too. These were applied onto the high quality cotton sheeting, reserved exclusively for Horrockses Fashions. A bit like when high end designers collaborate with high street brands now.
The exhibition will run at the Fashion and Textile museum from 9th July to 24th October 2010. Something on display that I am very intrigued to see is the way they will show the the life cycle of the garments, from initial fabric design through to production and consumption. As someone interested in ethcial fashion, this will be incredibly interesting to compare to modern day techniques. Of course, it could be said that they are at the forefront of consumerism, with customers demanding increasingly more for their money, and faster fashion turnarounds.
For more information on the Fashion and Textile Museum and for more information on the exhibition – http://www.ftmlondon.org/
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