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.
[3] Initially, the WVS collected samples from its membership – including tapestry, embroidery, quilting and hand knitting – and the response inspired a start-up business supported by the Board of Trade.
The scheme set out to generate overseas contracts and mass orders – it was suggested that suitable projects might include: "the equipping of a whole cathedral with kneelers".
A sale announcement in The Times in January 1951 described a range of goods, including women's cardigans and bed jackets, men's socks and sweaters and layette clothing for babies.
[8] The royal association continued; in 1954 a fashion show and reception at The Dorchester was attended by the Duchess of Kent, while in 1957 the Queen Mother was among the needlewomen creating 72 kneelers for Washington National Cathedral.
That year, Alison Settle described the company's new "sweater shop" in West Halkin Street, saying: "They design superbly styled jackets, cardigans and pullovers for men, women and children...this idea has not caught on greatly here but is vastly popular in America, and exports account for the major part of their trade".
[11] The company took on a far more commercial and fashion conscious approach as the 1960s dawned, although it already had a loyal customer base among US visitors to London and supplied several French couture houses.
[13] In 1964, Women's Home Industries was part of an export promotion to the US, joining forces with names such as Simpsons, Burberry, Jaeger and Dunhill to send a large shipment of menswear to Bloomingdales and Filene's.
Most of the creators of these cobweb shawls were elderly women – younger knitters lacked the patience – and patterns were said to be based on lace designs worn by survivors of the Spanish Armada washed up on the islands.
The article reported that: "Women's Home Industries has been red hot with enthusiasm from customers for handknit stockings in thick wool".
By this stage, Women's Home Industries was supplying Jaeger with crocheted stockings and gloves sets in colours such as pale blue and lemon yellow.
[18] By this stage, Women's Home Industries was not only operating from West Halkin Street, but also had a dedicated tapestry store in Pimlico Road, specialising in canvas embroidery work and taking on client commissions, which were executed by trained artists designing exclusively for the shop.
[12] From the 1950s on, Beatrice Bellini was a key influence on the direction of Women's Home Industries, acting as its designer and also sourcing yarns in keeping with fashion trends.
[12] Such was her reputation at the start of the 1970s, that Bellini was one of eleven UK fashion names chosen for an exhibition showcasing British talent at The Louvre – at the invitation of the director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs – entitled L'Idee de la Forme.
Other fashion names in the mix included Barbara Hulanicki, Bill Gibb, Jean Muir, Ossie Clark and Christopher McDonnell.
He recalls in his autobiography taking a needlepoint design to Women's Home Industries' tapestry shop, which Bellini was running at the time.