Wholesale Couture

London and Beyond, 1930-70

Liz Tregenza (London College of Fashion, UK)

$59.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Bloomsbury Visual Arts
12 December 2024

Offering a new perspective on British fashion history, Wholesale Couture demonstrates that these couturiers were vital in cementing London’s status as a ready-to-wear fashion centre.

The first book to consider the subject, Wholesale Couture: London and Beyond, 1930-70 seeks to revise the notion that wholesale couturiers were simply copyists and demonstrate the complexities of their design processes and business strategies. This term has fallen out of usage; however, it was used to describe the pinnacle of the British ready-to-wear fashion industry between the 1930s and 1960s. Companies within this sector have typically been recognised as creators of high-quality copies of French haute couture, using ready-to-wear techniques.

Liz Tregenza traces wholesale couture garments from concept to usage, considering design, manufacture, branding, promotion, retail and export. She looks beyond the garments produced and investigates the people behind these firms, consequently demonstrating the significant role that largely Jewish immigrants played in the development and success of this industry. The book also considers the wider social and economic factors that affected manufacturers and consumers; the effect of austerity, rationing and the Utility scheme, and the pressing need for wholesale couturiers to export their products internationally. It demonstrates that 1946 was a critical year for re-building and re-imagining the London fashion industry and that wholesale couturiers were at the centre of these developments.

Furthermore, it reveals the impact of changing consumer purchasing power, including the burgeoning youth market, for fashion manufacturers.

By: Liz Tregenza (London College of Fashion UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 232mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 560g
ISBN: 9781350245907
ISBN 10: 1350245909
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 12 December 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Liz Tregenza is a fashion and business historian. She is currently a lecturer at London College of Fashion, UK. Liz also runs her own vintage business and has written two books on vintage fashion.

Reviews for Wholesale Couture: London and Beyond, 1930-70

"""This much-needed work fills a gap in the history of British fashion design and manufacturing in the twentieth century."" --Marie McLoughlin, University of Brighton, UK ""Drawing on a rich and diverse range of research, Liz Tregenza demonstrates how wholesale couturiers made haute couture style available to middle-class women, arguing that they were instrumental in securing London's position as a centre of ready-to-wear fashion in the period 1930-70."" --Rachel Worth, Arts University Bournemouth, UK"