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Women's Home Industries
Women's Home Industries was a company founded in 1947 in London to earn export revenue for the UK in the post-war period by harnessing women's craft skills, such as knitting and needlework. Originally seen as part of the effort to rebuild the economy – and a way to give women practical work they could do from home – between the 1950s and 1970s its reputation as a retailer and supplier of hand-made knits and traditional crafts grew, with exports to match. It appeared in media such as ''The Times'' and ''Vogue'', while designer-makers such as Beatrice Bellini became known names in their own right. Kaffe Fassett was among those who supplied crafts for sale in its shops and he also collaborated on clothing with Bellini. Establishment and early years Women's Home Industries was established in 1947. The key instigator was Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, who had founded the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) in 1938 and became the company's chairman. Its stated aims were to sti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stella Isaacs, Marchioness Of Reading
Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, Baroness Swanborough, GBE (6 January 1894 – 22 May 1971), née Stella Charnaud, was an English philanthropist who is best remembered as the founder and chairman of the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS), now known as Royal Voluntary Service. As Lady Reading, she was highly active in promoting Anglo-American relations, not only as the wife of a former British Ambassador to the US, but also in her peacetime role helping to rebuild the British economy and find stimulating employment for women – both voluntary and paid. In addition to the WVS, she also established Women's Home Industries, a highly successful exponent of British craft and cultural traditions in clothing and textiles, and also a prolific exporter to the United States and Canada. She served on boards of various cultural bodies, including the BBC Advisory Board and Glyndebourne, and was a keen early supporter of the University of Sussex. In 1958, she became the first woman to ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
