Exhibition: Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners shaped global style

Step inside a traditional tailor’s workshop in the East End and immerse yourself in the glitz and glamour of a Carnaby Street boutique at the height of the Swinging Sixties – when London was the world's fashion capital.

From East End tailors to the couture salons of the West End, Fashion City tells the story of Jewish designers, makers and retailers responsible for some of the most recognisable looks of the 20th century. Individuals who became leading figures in their industries, founded retail chains still present on the high street today, and whose businesses helped boost the British post-war economy.

Featuring fashion and textiles, oral histories, objects, ephemera and photography, Fashion City will use the places and spaces of London to weave individual stories together with a broader social history.

Setting the scene will be a space dedicated to London’s East End, where many Jewish migrants arrived between the late 19th and mid-20th century. Personal ephemera from ordinary Londoners will tell stories of some of the 200,000 Jewish people who arrived in Britain during that time, over 50% of whom were involved in the fashion, clothing, and textile trade.

A small travelling case used by a child arriving in London as part of the Kindertransport (the rescue effort of children from Nazi-controlled territory in 1938-1939) will be displayed alongside a leather bag owned by a woman who fled from Vienna in 1938. A depiction of independent shops and businesses- from umbrella sellers to bag makers - will demonstrate how the area grew into a hub of activity for the manufacturing of clothing, shoes and accessories from the late 19th century. The exhibition will also highlight the little known connections between different immigrant communities, telling the stories of Caribbean tailors and Bengali seamstresses who came to London and found employment and mentorship from Jewish employers.

Travelling from East to West of the city, visitors will journey from the realm of Jewish tailoring, manufacturing and accessory making, to the boutiques and couture salons of the West End. Here, the exhibition will uncover the leading designers and enterprising retailers who put London on the map for fashion by introducing new styles and transforming shopping experiences.

Ian has Visited - review here.