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40-612: Lachasse was a British couture firm operating from 1928 until 2006, making it one of the longest surviving high fashion houses in London. Part of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc), it is notable for being a major training ground for British couturiers, numbering Digby Morton , Hardy Amies , and Michael Donnellan among its chief designers. Later it would train further designers, with names such as Stephen Jones and John Galliano passing through

80-814: A clientele comprising ladies in waiting to the Queen and "Mayfair matriarchs", adding: "It was quaint, it was heaven, it was an insight into a world that seemed long vanished even then". Lachasse clothing is held in the archives of the V&;A and the Fashion Museum, Bath . Among the items at the Fashion Museum, Bath is the Virginia Lachasse doll, a miniature mannequin created in 1954 for a London exhibition and equipped with an entire couture wardrobe, from daywear to bags, nylons and cigarettes. The doll

120-538: A design competition organised by the International Wool Secretariat . After a spell working with Berketex (then a wholesale house) as an assistant within its ready-to-wear department, he showed his first collection in 1963 in a borrowed space. By 1964, Evans was showing from his own salon just off Hanover Square and in August of that year he was elected as a member of IncSoc – bypassing

160-422: A dinner party Amies had attended. Amies' early pieces showed his lack of experience; later he would describe some of them as hideous and extravagant. In 1937, however, his tweed suit called 'Panic' scored a huge hit. Cecil Beaton photographed the suit for Vogue ; it had padded hips, a nipped in waist (Amies had introduced corsets to the collection) and was made in green Linton tweed with a cerise pink check. By

200-819: A fashion show held to launch the clothes. The prototype models were featured in Vogue magazine and donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum later that year. Inc Soc had organised seasonal showings in each London couture house based on the Parisian couture system. After the war, Inc Soc coordinated spring and autumn collections in London with the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris to allow cash-rich overseas buyers to take in both cities' collections. In 1949, members of Inc Soc showcased British fashion in

240-516: A final event on RMS  Queen Elizabeth in New York Harbour. Cope Allman's fashion division had decided to market Clive internationally because they saw him as representative of 'Swinging London' fashion – he was a keen supporter of the mini and unstructured shift dress, unlike many of his IncSoc contemporaries. The collection, which included casual summer suits, dresses with topcoats and jumpsuits, some topped with Graham Smith hats,

280-475: A porter. Having completed a course at Canterbury College of Art Evans began his fashion apprenticeship with Michael of Carlos Place before working at Lachasse and John Cavanagh – all were members of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc), giving him an impeccable grounding in the London couture scene. While working at Lachasse, he won both first and second prize in

320-472: A small boutique at its Thurloe Place, Kensington premises selling ready-to-wear. Couture, however, was still its main business and in 1990, Liz Smith writing in The Times described it as one of the go-to places in London for bespoke clothing: "Peter Lewis-Crown today continues the house tradition for natty tailoring (a suit costs around £1,000) that looks little changed from the days when Princess Marina and

360-621: A small fashion show held in New York to mark the arrival of the Queen Mary , at which Lachasse showed Scottish tweeds. Its new blue and red tweed was described as one of the "novelties". In 1951, The Guardian reporting from the IncSoc autumn shows said that Lachasse had been: "wildly, and rightly, complimented by the American buyers". That same season, its chenille coat drew applause from

400-418: A string of actresses – notably Cyd Charisse , Diane Cilento , Susannah York and Barbara Rush . In 1967, Clive signed an agreement with Cope Allman International to produce a ready-to-wear line, 'Clive Set', for the international market. The first collection was launched with transatlantic fanfare – beginning with a showing in London at 9.30 am, then a second showing on the flight to New York, before

440-599: Is not included in that article, but was listed as among the members in the 1960s in UK and international newspaper reports. In 1974, Ernestine Carter put together a potted history of the Society with the assistance of Ann Ryan, who administrated the Society between 1956 and 1960. They noted that Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, and Rahvis were the last three remaining members of the Society, with the shoemaker Edward Rayne , 'though not defunct, in abeyance.' According to Carter and Ryan,

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480-468: Is pure and his cut intricate." The Guardian 's reviewers added further praise: "Clive's clothes have confident assurance...A young man must, indeed, have confident assurance and not a little courage to start a couture house these days when the whole drift of fashion is towards casual clothes and ready-to-wear." The first full Clive collection was launched in January 1965. It was greeted warmly by

520-555: The Balenciaga of London for his focus on simplicity of form and defined tailoring. Such was his stature, and that of Lachasse during this era, that the house was included in a 1953 feature about London's "big 10" designers in a feature in Life prior to the coronation of Elizabeth II . This would be one of his last assignments for Lachasse as in 1953 he set up on his own, taking over the couture house of Peter Russell . At Lachasse,

560-472: The faux fur manufacturer Borg and, alongside the staple shift dresses that were a signature item, contained a large number of garments demonstrating the fur's potential uses. These included an extraordinary full-length evening dress in graduated shades of terracotta faux fur. A reviewer from the Sydney Morning Herald – the newspaper which less than a decade earlier described him as the man of

600-479: The British Colour Council, designed by Charles Creed (at Fortnum & Mason ), Norman Hartnell , Edward Molyneux , Digby Morton , Peter Russell , Victor Stiebel (of Jacqmar) and Worth London. Along with Bianca Mosca and Hardy Amies , all would go on to be founder-members of the IncSoc the following year, except Creed, who was the first designer voted in as a member. In March 1942, on

640-920: The buyers at the Venice fashion show. With increased international focus on London fashion during coronation year, The Times reported on Michael of Lachasse's new lines, describing his "masher" (cutaway) jacket and narrow skirt inspired by Edwardian fashions as the "ace of trumps". It added: "No designer has done more than he [Michael of Lachasse] since the end of the war to show that London has not only impeccable tailoring to offer but also style, and new fabrics to be used in new ways". That same year, Lachasse – along with IncSoc members and wholesale houses such as Susan Small , Aquascutum and Simpsons – showed its fashion at St Moritz as part of an export drive organised by The Ambassador magazine. In 1965, Peter Lewis-Crown, who had joined as an apprentice in 1948, became director of Lachasse. Subsequently, he took on ownership of

680-479: The couture house and was also responsible for design. While this was an era when most of the London couture houses were struggling – with the explosion of a new crop of London designers and the rise of ready-to-wear – Lachasse retained a loyal clientele. The Times said, in 1966: "Lachasse's clothes are entirely undatable, and in that must lie the secret of his success with an obviously older clientele. Skirts are generally straight, often with kick pleats and firmly cover

720-459: The couture house as trainees on their way to successful solo careers. During the heyday of couture, Lachasse's customers included Princess Marina and Countess Mountbatten . Founded in 1928, Lachasse focused on the 1920s trend for sportswear. Some sources say it was established by a Mrs Philips, however the more prominent name behind the brand was Fred Shingleton. It was an offshoot of the couture house of Gray, Paulette & Shingleton – Paulette

760-403: The cut of the suit stood out. This transformed what had previously been considered staid country wear into something chic enough for town. As Alison Adburgham noted in 1964, Morton: "made it fashionable to wear tweeds in London". The elegantly cut daywear suit became one of the hallmarks of Lachasse and would be refined by later house designers. After five years, Morton set up his own label and he

800-411: The faux leather shoes. In 1970, Clive was chosen as designer of the new BOAC air stewardess uniform, designing a terylene and cotton mini dress in pink or turquoise colourway with streamlined space-age styling. He introduced trousers for the first time to the uniform, although these could not be worn in the cabin while serving passengers. A year later, Clive's fashion collection was sponsored by

840-464: The film Maytime in Mayfair in a sequence that showed models wearing an outfit by each of the ten member designers. In July 1968, The Guardian reported that although associate membership for makers of hats, gloves, shoes and other accessories had been wound up, the society continued with Edward Rayne as chairman and Lady Hartwell (previously Lady Pamela Berry) as president. By 1969, IncSoc

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880-525: The invitation of the Board of Trade , the members of Inc Soc – all of whom were used to custom-creating designs for customers – designed 34 utility clothing garments suitable for mass manufacture in order to demonstrate how high-fashion elegance could be achieved within the strict rationing restrictions. Known as the Couturier Scheme, the project had a very high profile in the press at the time with

920-608: The knee". A critique of the London couture houses in 1967 – in which the author contrasted their work with that of designers such as Mary Quant and Jean Muir – noted: "Lachasse's collection was so far removed from the current fashion idiom to seem almost a museum piece. His clothes, built to the standards of elegance, taste and fit of years gone by, are obviously designed for the older woman who remembers and loves straight cut skirts, low, square necklines, draped bodices, hip bows and cuffed, bracelet-length sleeves". Lachasse continued to restrict itself to couture until 1981, when it opened

960-448: The late Countess Mountbatten were customers". Lachasse continued to provide a training ground for London's young designers. Both milliner Stephen Jones and future Givenchy and Dior head designer John Galliano spent time training there. An article in Vogue by fashion journalist Hamish Bowles , who had himself served an internship at Lachasse in the 1980s, described fashion shows featuring cocktail dresses and Derby day suits shown to

1000-413: The moment – was unimpressed: "Clive is chic and clever, but unfortunately not original this season...With the couture scene as fraught as ever with financial problems, it's inevitable that Clive cannot be as couture as he was". The couture house of Clive closed in 1971 – the same year that Evans' first mentor Michael of Carlos Place shut his business – and Evans became a design consultant. A year later, he

1040-486: The next head of design was Owen, who continued the tradition of fine tailoring that was a hallmark of the label, as seen in a red suit that now forms part of the V&;A archive. Owen was described by The Guardian in 1964 as: "a titled Irishman who is sheltering under the pseudonym of Owen". Almost a decade earlier, The Times revealed that Owen was the "Marquess McSweney". Also among the company's design team during this era

1080-472: The normal requirement to show at least four collections before being considered for membership. After this small (for the time) collection of 24 pieces was shown, The Sydney Morning Herald described him as "the man of the moment" in British fashion, also noting that, like his first mentor Michael of Carlos Place, he was tuned into the Balenciaga style. The reviewer added: "His tailoring is superb. His line

1120-401: The presidents of the society and their dates were: The chairs were: Clive Evans (fashion designer) Clive Evans , better known as Clive , was a London-born fashion designer of the 1960s who attracted a number of celebrity fans and was promoted internationally as a high fashion designer from Swinging London . Operating initially as a couture designer – and at a time when fashion

1160-561: The reviewer for The Times , who described it as setting "a mood of high sophistication" with its tunic suits, collarless coats with kimono sleeves and suits with culotte skirts . Eveningwear included sarong and sari -style dresses and an evening blouse made of chiffon and 30 yards of ribbon. The collection included shoes he'd designed and models wore straw turban hats made by Graham Smith with inbuilt slots to hold futuristic sunglasses made by Oliver Goldsmith . Clive clothes soon attracted high-profile clients such as Lee Radziwill and

1200-416: The time war broke out, Amies was designing the whole Lachasse collection. In 1941, Michael Donnellan was named head of operations at Lachasse – while on wartime service – and became its chief designer after his return. Donnellan – more usually known as Michael or Michael of Carlos place – was an established name and his designs for Lachasse bore the label 'Michael of Lachasse'. Later he would be described as

1240-545: The votes of at least two-thirds of the existing members. Normally, the designer had to have shown at least four collections before being considered for membership, although some later members achieved this faster, due to the strength of their work. Listings show joining date, where known, and were originally published in an article in Costume , the journal of the Costume Society, in 2001. The couture house of Rahvis

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1280-633: Was Clive Evans – sometimes known simply as Clive – who would go on to become one of the hottest designers of the Swinging London scene. In common with other London couturiers, Lachasse participated in a variety of export drives – especially for the American market. Its tailored suits had some success internationally, especially after the Wall Street Crash , when many American buyers looked to London rather than Paris for fashions because of its lower prices. In 1936, The Times reported

1320-710: Was a fashion house that had been bought by Shingleton. Writing in 1964, The Guardian fashion editor Alison Adburgham said: "People often ask, why Lachasse – there is no individual of that name, nor has there ever been. Lachasse was an offshoot... of a famous dress house in Berkeley Square called Paulette". Its original designer was Digby Morton, who is credited with coming up with the name because, as he later said, British women wouldn't buy high-end fashion designs unless they sounded French. Morton's first women's collection for Lachasse introduced unusual colour combinations into Donegal tweed and reduced detailing so that

1360-507: Was among the centrepieces of a 2007/8 V&A touring exhibition The Golden Age of Couture . Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers Some sources suggest Inc Soc was established by Harry Yoxall , managing editor of British Vogue , and others indicate it was the idea of Sir Cecil Weir of the Board of Trade. Ernestine Carter states that the IncSoc had its origins in 1941 with an export collection sent to South America by

1400-656: Was greeted positively by The Guardian reviewer, who said it was less bold than his couture designs but comprised "quiet clothes in well-chosen materials" and concluded it was likely to be well received on both sides of the Atlantic. From 1968, Clive Set clothes were available in the designer's Hanover Square store, as well as in the Oxford Street department store Peter Robinson. By the late 1960s, Clive had diversified into producing film costumes alongside his work for couture and ready-to-wear clients. Indeed, in 1966 it

1440-574: Was reported in The Times that he had postponed his London fashion shows and was busy designing costumes for a spy film about a journalist starring Cyd Charisse and Elsa Martinelli . In 1969, he was chosen as the designer to launch a new leather substitute Porvair, created by British company Chloride Electrical Storage Company . While he was not known for his menswear designs, the dramatic garments he created led The Times journalist Antony King-Deacon to comment that he wished he would. Richard Smith of The Chelsea Cobbler and Glen Carr of Norvic created

1480-460: Was reported to be struggling due to high taxes and overheads and competition from London's booming ready-to-wear designers. Most had added ready-to-wear designs to shore up their businesses. In January that year the society – which had shrunk from 12 to seven members over the previous six years – announced it would no longer host a group fashion event for UK and international buyers. Instead, each designer would host an individual show. The organisation

1520-628: Was still extant in 1974, but disbanded soon afterwards. The founding members were nicknamed the "Big Eight" in the press of the time. By 1949 they had become the "Big Ten" or "Top Ten of Fashion". The fashion journalist Ernestine Carter recalled in 1974: "At one point we called them the Top Ten, another the First Eleven, once the Baker's Dozen, then a Rowing Eight. Finally, we stopped giving them numbers at all." Each new member needed to receive

1560-492: Was succeeded at Lachasse by Hardy Amies, then a would-be designer and former Avery weighing machine salesman who had got the job of managing the store simply because a letter he wrote describing a dress came to the attention of Shingleton. Another telling of this story by Colin McDowell is that the letter Amies wrote was to his aunt – a vendeuse at a court dressmaker – and was describing the dress worn by Shingleton's wife at

1600-422: Was undergoing a radical shift towards mass-market and ready-to-wear – he was described by The Times fashion editor Prudence Glynn in 1972 as: "the last flowering on the tree of British couture". Evans was born in London into a medical family, claiming six generations of doctors came before him. He chose not to follow family tradition and spent time in the navy , also training as a journalist and working as

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