Join Dawn Foxall from the Textiles Skills Centre for a compelling talk on fashion sustainability, highlighting how mindful choices in textiles can help create a greener future—part of the “Threads of Elegance” celebration.
The project has been funded by St James’s Ward through Westminster City Council’s Ward Budget Programme, for the benefit of local residents.
Dawn Foxall (Founder & Chair: Textiles Skills Centre CIC)
BA(Hons) Knitwear Design; MA(Distinction) Music Performance
Dawn has 35 years’ experience in the textiles and garment industry including freelance design consultant, founder and manager of 3 textiles/clothing brands (Cocky’s shed; Fairtrade and Organic brand Liv Clothing & Homeware and British made organic knitwear brand Foxology); Fashion lecturer and programme developer at various UK Universities and FE colleges; schools CPD trainer and resources developer.
Dawn founded Textiles Skills Centre in 2015 with the aim of bringing together industry and education experts to support textiles in schools.
TSC has since grown as an organisation, promoting the value of textile skills in the community and supporting textiles teachers, through affordable access to training and events, mental welfare, enhancing creativity and developing life skills.
"Threads of Elegance: Conserving the Legacy of Beale and Inman Tailors" Project
Westminster City Archives is proud to present Threads of Elegance, a fascinating new project preserving the legacy of Beale and Inman (ca. 1828–1980)—one of the West End’s most distinguished bespoke tailors. Founded in 1828 on New Bond Street by James Beale and later joined by Richard Inman, the firm catered to an elite clientele including European royalty such as Emperor Napoleon III and the King of the Netherlands, British royals like King Edward VII and King George V, and famous figures including Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, and Sir Paul McCartney. The archives include detailed sales ledgers, order books (some with fabric samples) from the 1940s to 1980, and pattern books from the 1930s to 1970s, reflecting both individual and institutional clients. A rare set of “New Names” books offers insight into client creditworthiness, often with strikingly frank assessments from other top London retailers, making this collection an invaluable resource for understanding luxury tailoring and social history.
