Women's Home Industries
| Industry | Crafts, including knitting and tapestry |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | London, England |
|
Key people
|
Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading; Beatrice Bellini |
Women's Home Industries was a company founded in 1947 in London in order to earn export revenue for the UK in the post-war period by harnessing women's craft skills, such as knitting and needlework.
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. It appeared in media such as The Times and Vogue, while designer-makers such as Beatrice Bellini became known names in their own right. Kaffe Fassett was among those who supplied crafts for sale in its shops and he also collaborated on clothing with Bellini.
Women's Home Industries was established in 1947. The key instigator was Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading, who had founded the Women's Voluntary Service (WVS) in 1938 and became the company's chairman. Its stated aims were to stimulate women's craftsmanship and bring in dollars to Britain. It was publicised in its first year of business with an exhibition at Charing Cross tube station; a photograph of the exhibition is part of the London Transport Museum archive.
The idea came about because, as Lady Reading explained it to The Times, there was: "a wealth of talent in this country, unsurpassed anywhere in the world, and many who had travelled abroad in recent months felt sure that the products which British women could make in their own homes, using traditional British methods and designs, could be turned to dollar-making purposes". 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 company remained under the auspices of the WVS and operated initially from its HQ at 41 Tothill Street, SW1, but was a limited company.
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