Exhibition Archives: Tommy Nutter – Rebel on the Row

Introduction By the 1960s, the world of bespoke tailoring had been left behind by the ‘youthquake’ generation. As a consequence Savile Row, for 100 years the pinnacle of discreet taste and gentlemen’s dressing, was seen as an outmoded and old fashioned approach to dressing in the milieu of Swinging London. Savile Row itself was established …

Exhibition Archives: Hartnell to Amies – Couture by Royal Appointment

Introduction This retrospective exhibition of ground-breaking London designers Norman Hartnell, and Hardy Amies celebrates the timeless elegance of fashionable London couture. The consummate design skills of these men were – publicised world-wide by the patronage of the Royal Family and helped to re-establish Britain’s reputation as an international fashion centre after the Second World War. …

Couture Inside Out: Zandra Rhodes

One of our most popular and long-running workshops is Couture Inside Out. This workshop is the rare opportunity to join the Museum’s exhibitions team to view the ins and outs of couture construction; to take an up-close and intimate look at selected garments from the Fashion and Textile Museum Collection. While we can’t bring this …

Exhibition Archives: Liberty in Fashion

Introduction Liberty has been a part of the British landscape since its founding by Arthur Lasenby Liberty 140 years ago. Originally a warehouse supplying fashionable goods from the Far East, Liberty soon established a style and approach that was distinctive in the milieu of British retailing. Liberty’s contribution to British fashion, both that produced by …

Defining Moments: Anna Sui

Anna Sui is the classic American fashion designer. From Detroit to New York, her signature rock-n-roll romanticism reinvents pop culture for every new generation. Since her first catwalk show in 1991, Sui has shaped not only the garments, textiles, accessories, beauty and interiors which comprise her design universe, but also the course of fashion history. …

Exhibition Archives: The World of Anna Sui

Introduction ‘Even if people haven’t heard them for a while, I feel I’m telling stories that never go out of style.’  Anna Sui is one of New York City’s fashion legends. Since establishing her eponymous label in 1981, and from her first catwalk show in 1991 to her rock-star status in the Far East, Sui …

Zandra Rhodes: Processes, Practices and the Importance of Sketching

Zandra Rhodes is never far from her sketchbook. Early training at school and art school instilled in her an understanding of the importance of drawing within a creative practice. The designer’s very disciplined approach to her sketchbooks includes drawing every day; she also does not remove pages from her sketchbook. In them, each drawing, whether …

Exhibition Archives: Riviera Style

Bathing Beauties: 1895 - 1919 As bathing became a recreational pastime in the mid-nineteenth century so specialised clothing was developed largely to preserve the wearer's modesty. Women were required to wear a bathing dress that completely covered the body: bloomers, an over-dress, stockings, headgear and boots. Initially beaches operated segregation of the sexes and men …

Botanical Inks: Nettle Dye Tutorial

In 2017, Babs Behan joined us at the Fashion and Textile Museum for a workshop teaching the basics of one of the oldest types of printmaking, as part of that year's Festival of Textiles. The following year she published her book, Botanical Inks, and we've enjoyed keeping up with her and her work ever since. …

Download: Draw Like a Designer 2

How to Draw Like a Fashion Designer is the best-selling book by Fashion and Textile Museum Curator and Head of Exhibitions, Dennis Nothdruft. This book also forms the basis of our popular workshop, Draw Like a Designer. While our workshops are currently postponed, we want budding designers to continue feeling inspired and to keep creating! …