When we were last in London I pootled along to the Fashion and Texile Museum's 'Horrockses Fashions' expo. Horrockses Fashions Limited was the manufacturer of one of the most well-respected, ready-to-wear labels of the 1940/1950s and, with their dresses often costing a month's salary back then, were extremely coveted.
As some of you may have picked up, I ♥ the 1950s with a passion. The boldness of the prints, the fullness of the skirts - aaah, beautiful! What's more, the Horrockses dresses were produced at Ivy Mill, in Failsworth, only a mile or so from where my mum grew up and where I lived when I was wee - so I felt even more of a connection to this expo for that reason...
Here are some of my favourite pieces (click on pics to enlarge). But there's plenty more to see, if you have time to pop along to the FTL itself.
This was designed by wonderful Ursula Hertz in the 1950s – it is unusual as it is printed across the width of the fabric and was particularly effective when styled as a skirt:
Dress design by Pat Albeck based on costumes from the opera La Traviata:
The designs in this pattern book were produced by various printers for Horrockses Fashions produced at Ivy Mill, Manchester. Printers, designers and studios are indicated as well as the printing technique used:
Unpicked skirt in a design of newspaper headers and magazine images (designed by Ursula Hertz). The design is printed lengthways on the fabric, which means the skirt only has one seam (almost 5 yds of fabric make up the skirt’s width!!):
Strapless sundress and bolero jackets in cotton with a repeating pattern of food and drink (from 1952; food rationing remained in place in the UK until 1954):
I like this green dress,so cute for summer.
-mikee
Posted by: wholesale gino green global | 15/11/2010 at 03:30 AM