First Dressmaking Room 1915

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London started life as three trade schools: Shoreditch Technical Institute Girls School (1906) with Barrett Trade School (1915) and Clapham Trade School (1920). These schools trained girls in the art of dressmaking, millinery, embroidery and hairdressing. They were as young as twelve and the schools were organised like typical secondary schools, with school uniforms and 30 hours per week, including Maths and English.
The schools identified the skills needed in the fashion industry at the time and fashioned teaching to service this need. For example, term finished in March, just in time for our students to walk into jobs preparing for the season's rounds of balls, parties and social events. Here is LCF's first dressmaking room in 1915.