It can be hard to survive in the turbulent world of fashion. This talk explores the story of a London firm that managed to not only survive but to thrive through the twists and turns of the twentieth century thanks to successive generations of a Jewish family.

Moss Bros. has been shaping British fashion for more than 160 years. The firm dressed the upper echelons of British society for events such as Ascot, Glyndebourne, and the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, when at least five cabinet ministers appeared in the firm’s hire robes. Famous customers include the composer Edward Elgar, playwright Noël Coward, explorer Fridtjof Nansen, and actor Rudolph Valentino. For those of us who do not move in such rarefied circles, Moss Bros. has also been a staple of the British high street and a familiar presence in lives and wardrobes.

This talk will explore the fascinating story of Moss Bros. and the people behind it. It will explain how Moss Bros. achieved longevity by embracing change and outline how successive generations of the Moss family and their collaborators found new ways to stay ahead of the shifts and turns of fashion production and consumption.

Bethan Bide is lecturer in design and cultural theory at the University of Leeds. She is a design historian with a particular interest in fashion cities, the production and consumption of ready-to-wear clothing, and the role of fashion in museums. Bethan previously worked as a producer of comedy programs for BBC Radio 4. 

 

Lucie Whitmore is fashion curator at the Museum of London and is the lead curator of Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style. Lucie has a PhD in First World War fashion from the University of Glasgow. She has published on the subjects of First World War mourning dress and austerity fashion.