Celebration of iconic 40s dresses

PASSION for fashion . . . Oldham-born Christine Boydell with her new book

THE most sought-after fashions of days gone by will be on display at the London Textile Museum this summer.

Oldham-born academic Dr Christine Boydell, who teaches design history at De Montfort University in Leicester, has curated the exhibition which opens on July 9 and runs until October 24.

Pieces made at iconic Ardwick factory Horrocks Fashions in the 1940s and 1950s will be on display.

Dr Boydell has written a book — “Horrockses Fashions: Off-the Peg Style in the 40s and 50s” — to accompany the exhibition.

The exhibition will showcase Dr Boydell’s research on Horrockses Fashions Limited, manufacturer of one of the most well-respected ready-to-wear labels.

Dr Boydell, who was schooled in Oldham before doing a degree in the History of Design at Manchester Polytechnic, said: “The exhibition will focus on the range of the firm’s production, from glamorous evening dresses, to vibrant summer frocks and sophisticated housecoats and beachwear.

“It will follow the story of the Horrockses dress from initial fabric and fashion design, to production, promotion and consumption.

“The company is best-known for its full-skirted dresses which were sought after by women everywhere and were even worn by the young Queen.

“Although they were produced in considerable quantities from the start, the firm maintained an air of exclusivity for the brand, with an emphasis on good quality fabrics, especially cotton, with custom-designed patterns and fashion styling with Parisian couture overtones.

“The colourful prints, particularly floral designs will provide a visual feast for visitors to the exhibition.

“The importance of fabric design on cotton was key to Horrockses Fashions’ success; it acquired designs from a number of sources including in-house staff, commercial design studios, freelancers and also from well-known artists such as Graham Sutherland and Eduardo Paolozzi which were applied to the parent company’s high quality cotton sheeting which was reserved exclusively for Horrockses Fashions.”