Love London, It’s a Fashion City

Fashion City, How Jewish Londoners shaped global style; This Exhibition at London Docklands Museum, for the first time, uncovers the major contribution of Jewish designers in making London an iconic fashion city. Discover the stories behind the Jewish fashion makers who became leaders in their industries, founded retail chains still on the high street today, and dressed the rich and famous – including David Bowie, Princess Diana and Mick Jagger.

Amidst the many stories told in the exhibition, Fashion City highlights the little-known connections between East End migrant communities, telling the stories of Caribbean tailors and Bengali seamstresses who came to London and found employment and understanding from Jewish colleagues.

It spotlights the cultural influence of Jewish designers like Mr Fish who dressed stars including Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Michael Caine and Sean Connery. Fish dressed Sean Connery for his first role as 007, David Bowie for the cover of The Man Who Sold the World, Muhammad Ali for his Rumble in the Jungle fight and Mick Jagger for The Rolling Stones’ 1969 Hyde Park concert.

Covering the full breadth of the clothing industry, the exhibition celebrates the importance of Jewish designers and retailers in shaping the high street and bolstering Britain’s post-war economy.

Ahead of London Fashion Week being founded in 1984, and the explosion of British names in the 1960s, industry figures including Frederick Starke, Charles Kuperstein and Walter and Otto Marcus founded the Model House Group (MHG), building London’s global reputation by developing a new market segment for London fashion, lobbying the government on production and export, and synchronising seasonal couturier shows into one week.

London’s East End has always been a mecca for the clothing industry from the Huguenots of France with their silk expertise to the Bengali community via the Jewish community. This area opens itself up to communities as a first stepping-off point and a place to start to build a new life.

On Friday 14 June 2024, Caroline Rush CBE, Chief Executive, BFC, and exhibition curator, Dr Lucie Whitmore, hosted a breakfast and early morning viewing of Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global style, an exhibition uncovering the major contribution of Jewish designers in making London an iconic city. The event was held as part of the ongoing celebrations of 40 Years of London Fashion Week. Speeches were followed by an a cappella klezmer blues performance by singer Pini Brown.

Fashion City brings together places and spaces in London with fashion and textiles, oral histories, objects and photography to weave this fascinating history, where every stitch tells a truly unique story.

The Exhibition has been so successful it has been extended but is coming to an end, so should you wish to see it, best to go asap as it closes 7th July.

For all the information on the museum and exhibition please visit museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands here

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