Overview

The first book to consider the subject, Wholesale Couture: London and Beyond, 1930-70 seeks to revise the notion that wholesale couturiers were simply copyists and demonstrate the complexities of their design processes and business strategies. This term has fallen out of usage; however, it was used to describe the pinnacle of the British ready-to-wear fashion industry between the 1930s and 1960s. Companies within this sector have typically been recognised as creators of high-quality copies of French haute couture, using ready-to-wear techniques. Liz Tregenza traces wholesale couture garments from concept to usage, considering design, manufacture, branding, promotion, retail and export. She looks beyond the garments produced and investigates the people behind these firms, consequently demonstrating the significant role that largely Jewish immigrants played in the development and success of this industry. The book also considers the wider social and economic factors that affected manufacturers and consumers; the effect of austerity, rationing and the Utility scheme, and the pressing need for wholesale couturiers to export their products internationally. It demonstrates that 1946 was a critical year for re-building and re-imagining the London fashion industry and that wholesale couturiers were at the centre of these developments. Furthermore, it reveals the impact of changing consumer purchasing power, including the burgeoning youth market, for fashion manufacturers. Offering a new perspective on British fashion history, Wholesale Couture demonstrates that these couturiers were vital in cementing London’s status as a ready-to-wear fashion centre.

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9781350245860

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Reviews

A captivating read for fashion enthusiasts, historians, educators, aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in the intersection of creativity and business ... a unique blend of personal storytelling, industry insights, and practical analysis that makes it both informative and entertaining. * Fashion, Style & Popular Culture * Tregenza’s sources are rich and varied. Her use of trade publications and newspapers is particularly fruitful ... an excellent addition to the developing research around British ready-to-wear fashion. * Costume * This much-needed work fills a gap in the history of British fashion design and manufacturing in the twentieth century. * Marie McLoughlin, University of Brighton, UK * Drawing on a rich and diverse range of research, Liz Tregenza demonstrates how wholesale couturiers made haute couture style available to middle-class women, arguing that they were instrumental in securing London's position as a centre of ready-to-wear fashion in the period 1930-70. * Rachel Worth, Arts University Bournemouth, UK *

This much-needed work fills a gap in the history of British fashion design and manufacturing in the twentieth century. * Marie McLoughlin, University of Brighton, UK * Drawing on a rich and diverse range of research, Liz Tregenza demonstrates how wholesale couturiers made haute couture style available to middle-class women, arguing that they were instrumental in securing London's position as a centre of ready-to-wear fashion in the period 1930-70. * Rachel Worth, Arts University Bournemouth, UK *

Author Information

Liz Tregenza is a fashion and business historian. She is currently a lecturer at London College of Fashion, UK. Liz also runs her own vintage business and has written two books on vintage fashion.

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