Couture or Trade A Early Pictorial Record of the London College of Fashion

London's fashion industry had long produced luxurious hand-made clothing for women of the leisured classes. However, by the end of the 19th century the West End was suffering a shortage of skilled employees and trade was being lost to Paris. The response to this challenge was the founding in 1906 of women's trade schools, with a needle-trade curriculum devised in close co-operation with leading dressmakers and the exclusive London stores. The London College of Fashion had its origin in three of those schools, in Barrett Street, Shoreditch and Clapham.Reynolds, Helen is the author of 'Couture or Trade A Early Pictorial Record of the London College of Fashion' with ISBN 9781860770661 and ISBN 1860770665.