Fashion City

13 October 2023 – 7 July 2024

How Jewish Londoners shaped global style

  • Exhibition of vintage fashion displayed on mannequins in glass cases with informational plaques, featuring colorful and ornate dresses.

    The exhibition featured a Bellville Sassoon coat worn by Princess Diana (far right).

  • Textile Conservators and curators installing costume figures into cases in Fashion City Museum of London Docklands October 2023

    Mr Fish's iconically flamboyant designs included this kaftan and a rare 'maxi-smoking' dress.

  • Interior of a museum exhibit featuring garments and historical photos related to textile production, displayed in a room with wooden floors and focused lighting.

    A tailor's workshop told stories about the East End's rag trade.

  • A display case featuring a black dress on a mannequin, accompanied by photographs and informational plaques. The case has a tufted beige background and is exhibited in a museum-like setting.

    Visitors could walk into a glitzy couture salon featuring high-end fashion.

  • A display case containing a variety of colorful hats, each with a descriptive placard in front.

    There were a handful of hats from master milliner, Otto Lucas.

For the first time, this exhibition uncovered the major contribution of Jewish designers in making London an iconic fashion city.

Fashion City shone a light on the Jewish fashion makers who became leaders in their industries and founded retail chains still on the high street today. And also dressed the rich and famous: David Bowie, Princess Diana and Mick Jagger – to name just a few.

Key industry figures were featured, like wedding dress designer Netty Spiegel, milliner Otto Lucas, the iconic Mr Fish and legendary David Sassoon. These stories were brought to life by fashion and textiles, oral histories, objects and photography.

“It's the best fashion exhibition I've seen in years”

Alexandra Shulman, former Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue
Carnaby Street during the 'swinging 60s'

Mini documentaries

Cheetahs on Carnaby Street, Moss Bros suits and how Dot Cotton was a style icon. Here are all the bitesize stories told in Fashion City: watch all mini documentaries.

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