College Archives
LCF Fashion Archives
LCF Archives are a teaching collection and research resource that we utilise to inspire and engage students, staff and the public. They hold a set of eclectic and eccentric collections that explore the history of London as a fashion capital.
We collect material that reflects the full fashion cycle – from concept and design, and process and production, through to finished pieces and press and promotional materials. We also frame fashion as a social subject by looking at the personal and political stories our clothes can tell about us.
Our services and how to engage with the Archives
We develop and deliver LCF Archives services, workshops and resources that you can access independently or as a part of your course and studies. You can visit our LCF Archives LibGuide for more information on what the Archives are and how to engage with them.
All LCF students also have access to the LCF Archives Moodle site, where we share updates, recommendations and event listings to our workshop programmes. You can also book an online, object-based tutorial on our Moodle site.
Our staff and student SharePoint sites host videos, worksheets and other resources inspired by, and that give access and insight into, our objects.
For introductory information on some of the collections our Archives hold, please see below.
How to get in touch with the LCF Archives team
You can get in touch with the LCF Archives team by emailing archives@fashion.arts.ac.uk (please note that this account is only checked on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so there may be some delay in response time). You can also LiveChat with us on Wednesday 3-5pm via our widget on our LCF Archives LibGuide during term time.
C&A Archive
Garments and fashion advertisements designed by Marrit Seck produced by C&A Ltd., clothing retailers and manufacturers. Additional materials relating to the history of the company in the UK from 1922 to 2000 are held in the UAL Archives and Special Collections Centre and include slides, photographs and information on advertising campaigns from 1940-1990. Collections Catalogue.
Cordwainers College Archive
Developed to support the teaching of footwear design and construction, the shoe collections contain over 650 shoes from 1780 to the present day. Images and descriptions from the Cordwainers College Historic Shoe Collection are accessed via the Visual Arts Data Service.
EMAP Archive
This collection contains key trade journals published by EMAP for the fashion, clothing and retail industries dating from the 1880s. Journals included are the Drapers Record, Menswear and several footwear trade titles.
Gala Collection
The collection contains scrapbooks of clippings from newspapers and magazines, publicity and promotional photographs and materials for Gala Cosmetic, Crystal Products, and Miner's Cosmetics from 1939-1952. Images and descriptions of this collection are available on the Visual Arts Data Service.
Hayes Textile Ltd. Collection
A very large collection of textile swatches and pattern books showing the varied patterns and colours used by Hayes Ltd, a British company, to design and manufacture head clothes for the Nigerian market from the 1960s.
History of the London College of Fashion Collection
The collection contains items relating to the history of London College of Fashion, from its original trade schools at Barrett Street, Shoreditch, Clapham and Cordwainer's School. The collection contains photographs, administrative papers and other materials documenting the teaching and related activities for dressmaking, embroidery, shoemaking, leatherworking, tailoring and hairdressing, including some examples of students' needlework; and the Ethel E Cox Collection, Head Mistress at Barrett Street Trade School from 1915-1950. About 1000 black and white historical photographs of the College can be accessed via the Visual Arts Data Service.
Louis Bund Collection
Louis Bund Ltd supplied textile flowers to London's fashion and clothing trades. The collection contains a salesman box with 252 sample flowers and individual vintage flowers.
Mary Quant Make-up Collection
A collection of 30 items of make-up from Mary Quant's make-up range from the 1960s. Mary Quant was a fashion designer, influential in the 1960s.
Menswear Collections
Examples of 20th century tailoring including a collection of suits by Tommy Nutter (on loan Alistair O'Neill); suits by Savile Row tailors Huntsman and Henry Poole; and other men's garments.
Paper Patterns Collection
The collection contains commercially published patterns for home dressmaking,1920s-1970s. Images and descriptions of the front covers can be accessed via the Visual Arts Data Service.
Tailoring and Garment Production Collections
Documents and ephemera from trade bodies, companies and organisations involved in tailoring. Includes the Business Archives Council Collection, Cooling Lawrence and Wells Collection, London Alliance of West End Cutters Collection, Tailor and Cutter Academy papers, and the Basic Tailors and Outfitters Assistants' General Friendly Society Collection.
Victor Stiebel Sketchbooks
Three sketchbooks from the London based couturier, working between 1940s and 1960s. Images and descriptions of many of the sketches can be accessed via the Visual Arts Data Service.
Women's Home Industries Archive
The collection contains knitting patterns, visitor's book, press cuttings, stitch books and garments from the Women's Home Industries (also known as Beatrice Bellini Hand Knits) from 1947 to 2005. The company was established by Baroness Swanborough to revive and develop couture hand and home knitting with the garments exported (primarily to the USA and Canada).
Womenswear Collections
The Archives contain several collections of women's dress from the 1920s to 1990s. The key collections were given by the Korner Family, the Ann Barr Estate, Miss Hester Borron, and Jenifer Rosenberg, as well as from other individuals. The collections include couture day and evening wear, mass produced clothing, homemade items, hats, underwear and accessories, as well as printed ephemera.
Woolmark Photographic Archive
The collection contains photographs of womenswear and menswear (couture and prêt a porter) and related promotional materials. The collection covers the period of 1940 to 1970s. Please note this is an extensive collection. For description of the collection and images please visit the Visual Arts Data Service.
Library Collections
To view a closed access item please place the request when you make a study space booking. Check Library Search and copy and paste the URL for your item or add author, title, journal issue/volume and date, plus location shelved at and shelfmark
The Library holds the following collections:
Special Collections
The Library Special Collections contain rare and historical fashion books and periodicals that reflect the unique collections of dress and fashion related subjects within the library.
Highlights include: tailoring books dating back to the 1800s, fashion zines, Visionaires, 'Active Resistance' by Vivienne Westwood, LCF PhD theses, and books written by LCF staff both past and present. All items can be found via Library Search.
Materials Collection
The LCF Materials Collection includes swatches and samples of materials that are used within the fashion and textiles industries. Each sample is labelled with accompanying information and company contact details for further research.
For more information and materials research resources please go to the Materials subject guide
Visit us
The Materials Collection is open to all students and staff of the University of the Arts London. Located on the second floor of the LCF library the collection is open for browsing during library opening times
Contact
The Materials and Products Co-ordinator works across the CSM and LCF materials collections and is available for advice and support.
Contacts
For information about the College Archives please contact
archives@fashion.arts.ac.uk
For information about the Library Special Collections please contact
specialcollections@fashion.arts.ac.uk
For information about the Library's Materials Collection please contact
materials@fashion.arts.ac.uk