Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers
| Formation | 1942 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Maintain and develop London as a fashion centre |
| Location |
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| Remarks | Disbanded in the 1970s and succeeded by British Fashion Council |
Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (also known as IncSoc, Inc Soc and ISFLD) was a membership organisation founded in 1942 to promote the British fashion and textile industry and create luxury couture to sell abroad for the war effort. It aimed to build the relationship between government and fashion industry and represent the interests of London couturiers. The organisation continued after the war and sought to present itself as an alternative to the revived Paris couture industry.
Some sources suggest Inc Soc was established by Harry Yoxall, managing editor of British Vogue, and others indicate it was the idea of Sir Cecil Weir of the Board of Trade.
Ernestine Carter states that the IncSoc had its origins in 1941 with an export collection sent to South America by the British Colour Council, designed by Charles Creed (at Fortnum & Mason), Norman Hartnell, Edward Molyneux, Digby Morton, Peter Russell, Victor Stiebel (of Jacqmar) and Worth London. Along with Bianca Mosca and Hardy Amies, all would go on to be founder-members of the IncSoc the following year, except Creed, who was the first designer voted in as a member.
In March 1942, on the invitation of the Board of Trade, the members of Inc Soc – all of whom were used to custom-creating designs for customers – designed 34 utility clothing garments suitable for mass manufacture in order to demonstrate how high-fashion elegance could be achieved within the strict rationing restrictions. Known as the Couturier Scheme, the project had a very high profile in the press at the time with a fashion show held to launch the clothes. The prototype models were featured in Vogue magazine and donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum later that year.
Inc Soc had organised seasonal showings in each London couture house based on the Parisian couture system. After the war, Inc Soc coordinated spring and autumn collections in London with the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris to allow cash-rich overseas buyers to take in both cities' collections.
In 1949, members of Inc Soc showcased British fashion in the film Maytime in Mayfair in a sequence that showed models wearing an outfit by each of the ten member designers.
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