JTA – David Bowie, Greta Garbo and Sean Connery were not Jewish. But some of the clothes that made him famous – Bowie suits, Garbo hats and the tuxedo worn by Connery’s James Bond – all had Jewish creators.
A London museum is trying to collect some clothes for an exhibition on the influence of London’s immigrant communities on the British fashion industry.
London’s Docklands Museum documents the city’s history as a port city, telling the story of its arrival on the River Thames in the Atlantic slave trade to the large numbers of Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution from African slaves in the late 1800s. Eastern Europe.
Like their co-religionists who arrived in New York, many Jews found themselves in the garment industry after immigrating.
Fashion curator Lucy Whitmore said in a statement at the museum: “Jewish people worked at all levels of London’s fashion industry throughout the twentieth century, but the extent of their contribution is not widely recognized.”
“Jewish makers founded the ready-to-wear industry, worked their way up to the highest levels of London fashion and dominated Carnaby Street in the swinging sixties. Many of these designers were internationally renowned – loved by the rich and famous and highly respected for their creativity, talent and originality. It is a contribution that deserves recognition.
Starting in October and running until April 2024, the museum will host the exhibition “Fashion City: How Jewish Londoners Shaped Global Style.”
But to fill out the collection, they put out a public appeal to collect famous artifacts created by Jewish designers such as Mr. Fish (born Michael Fish), Cecil Gee, Otto Lucas, the Ravavis sisters, and Madame Isobel (Isobel Spevak). Harris). The statement said the museum is looking for menswear pieces worn by famous names such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Muhammad Ali and Michael Caine on March 1, along with “members of The Beatles.”
Fish designed popular British fashion designs in the 1960s and 70s, such as the wide kipper tie. Cecil G started his career in In the 1930s, he designed the “Demob Suit” – short for demob – which was issued to British soldiers by the army after they were discharged from World War II service. Ramonde and Dora Rahvis, Jewish sisters born in South Africa, became the first prominent costume designers in the British film industry after immigrating to London.
