The Harris Museum, 2026

The Costume Society is very pleased to be supporting The Harris Museum, Art Gallery and Library in Lancashire with an Elizabeth Hammond Conservation Grant awarded in 2026.

The grant is given as part funding for the conservation of approximately 28 Horrockses dresses for a major exhibition, ‘Horrockses Fashions: Everyday Glamour and the Art of British ready-to-wear' which opens in September 2026.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the launch of Horrockses Fashions, this exhibition explores how the Lancashire-based company fused couture sensibilities with high-quality printed cottons to create dresses that were at once accessible, stylish and unmistakably modern. Horrockses quickly became synonymous with effortless elegance. Its dresses were worn by women from all walks of life, from mill workers to members of the royal family. Famously, Queen Elizabeth II packed several Horrockses cotton dresses for her 1953–54 Commonwealth tour, demonstrating how the brand’s refined yet practical designs could move seamlessly from garden parties to global diplomacy.

Central to Horrockses’ success was their pioneering approach to textile design. The company collaborated with leading contemporary artists to create distinctive fabrics that elevated ready-to-wear fashion into a form of wearable art. Bold florals, graphic geometrics and striking modernist motifs appeared on their full-skirted ‘New Look’ silhouettes. Drawing on the world’s largest museum collection of Horrockses dresses, this exhibition reveals the creativity, craftsmanship and cultural significance behind one of Britain’s most beloved post-war fashion labels.

The grant has been used for the conservation of The Harris’s collection, ensuring garments are stabilised, prepared and presented for the exhibition.