(Part 2)

In 1948 Madge Garland, ex-editor of British Vogue, was appointed to found a Fashion School at the Royal College of Art (RCA) to replace the existing Dress course. Her contacts provided the students with materials, sponsorship and, ultimately, good introductions into the industry. Early RCA graduates included Gina Fratini, Gerald McCann and Bernard Nevill who went on to become leading forces in British fashion. Garland was undoubtedly a seminal figure in fashion education, even though she was Paris-led and couture-oriented.

The school embarked upon a new direction when Madge Garland’s assistant, Janey Ironside, took the helm in 1956. Ironside’s aim was to promote a new look in British fashion that would be internationally accepted and in this she succeeded. Many of her students from working-class backgrounds felt the Parisian haute-couture had little relevance to their lives. They wanted to design stylish, youthful fashions and Janey Ironside nurtured and developed their skills to this end. David Sassoon, Marion Foale, Sally Tuffin, Ossie Clark, Antony Price and Janice Wainwright were among the RCA students who went on to make a significant contribution to British fashion. In 1964 the RCA launched a menswear department within the Fashion School, which trained a new generation of menswear fashion designers.

In spite of her access, Janey Ironside had to fight to gain fashion its due recognition. In 1964, the RCA was granted university status, which permitted it to award Bachelor of Arts degrees to replace The Diploma of Art and Design. However, the Academic Advisory Council singled out the Fashion School as unworthy of this higher qualification. They claimed that fashion was too intimately connected with industry; an irony, considering that the college had been founded to feed industry. Protesting vigorously, Ironside ultimately resigned. Two years later the decision was revoked, by which time the highly regarded Joanne Brogden had become head. Since 1989 both the Fashion and Textile Schools have been jointly headed by John Miles.

From 1972 all British art schools have been able to supply for degree status in fashion. This has done much to elevate the status of fashion as a professional qualification and career. Many other fashion schools – including Nottingham, Manchester, Ravensbourne, Liverpool, Middlesex and Harrow (now the University of Westminster) – have all made major contributions. The Barret Street Trade School amalgamated with the London College of Fashion, and is the only state-founded entirely fashion-focused college in Britain. From 1952 to 1972 Mary Bromley headed the highly successful Fashion School at Newcastle, which became a leader in developing fashion-related courses such as business studies, marketing and promotion. Each of the colleges has a different emphasis, training designers, tailors and technicians to work in all levels of the industry. For example, the highly respected Fashion School at Kingston has prioritized the training of designers to work within the international manufacturing industry, a focus established by its first head Dphne Brooker.

British art schools now teach all areas of fashion and clothing, and offer a broad range of related subjects. Fashion graduates from art schools are employed in design studios throughout the world as well as having high-profile own-label collections.