Awarded to the Museum of London for the conservation of an evening gown by Madame Isobel for the exhibition: ‘Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style’- the first fashion focussed exhibition the museum has undertaken for nearly 20 years.
To see the journey of this very rare piece, see this excellent video made by the Museum of London, Docklands team.
A lace evening dress, Isobel, 1930, silk and velvet.
The gown is one of only four currently known surviving Isobel garments. It was made at Isobel's grand premises on Regent Street, which she built in 1923. By 1930 she was renowned for her luxurious court, presentation and evening gowns and her knowledge of dressing etiquette. Isobel's tailored daywear and fur collections were also well known, and she travelled the world in the late 1920s selling her designs and promoting British fashion.
The gown appears in the Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style exhibition (13 October 2023 – 14 April 2024).
A full report will be published in 2024.
There was an online discussion with the lead exhibition curators Bethan Bide and Lucie Whitmore, as well as Madam Isobel specialist Hannah Wroe on Monday 6th November 2023 for Costume Society members. The recording of this will be added soon to the member's area of our website.
