Hull History Centre looks back at the work of a Stella McCartney of the 19th century A fashion festival which will showcase the latest trends is also set to step back in time to celebrate the impact and influence of a woman who put Hull at the centre of haute couture just over 125 years ago.
Emily Clapham opened her dress-making salon on the site of the current Kingston Theatre Hotel in Hull in 1887. In no time she became known as Madame Clapham, dress-maker to the rich, famous and even the titled. Discretion dictated that she could not reveal the identities of all of her celebrated clients, but it is known that they included Queen Maud of Norway as well as the 8th Viscount Chetwynd, who needed something special for the coronation in 1911 of King George V.
Madame Clapham’s work will be reviewed by Susan Capes, Assistant Curator at Hull Museums, with the additional twist of a mini-exhibition featuring an interpretation of the designs by students from Hull School of Art and Design. Admission is free for the Fashion Through the Ages event, which will take place at Hull History Centre from 11am until midday on Friday 3 May as part of HullBID Fashion Week.
“Madame Clapham was perhaps a Stella McCartney of her time,” said Tracy Pallett, Audience Development Officer at Hull History Centre.
“She designed gowns for royalty and for the celebrities of her day and she did it not from Paris or London but from Hull.
“We hope this event will attract students from Hull School of Art and Design, some of whom worked on creating replicas of Madame Clapham’s creations for a previous project. We have also invited students from Yorkshire Coast College and the University of Hull, to include both their Scarborough campuses which focus on costume.
“The event should appeal to anyone who has an interest in fashion or in the history of Hull.”
That includes Harry Osborne, who in 1986 opened the Kingston Theatre Hotel in the building which had housed Madame Clapham’s salon from 1887 and which, after her death in 1952, was run by her niece, Emily Wall, until 1967.
“Madame Clapham’s seamstresses used to come here once a month for afternoon tea after the salon closed,” recalled Harry.
“They were in their 90s and they’re all gone now but we have their memories and their stories. People used to pay to send their daughters to work for Madame Clapham because they valued the experience so highly.
“Some of the girls were too young to work and had to hide in the warrens of basement rooms. When we converted the building into a hotel we found gold pins, reels of cotton and all sorts of other things under the floorboards.”
Madame Clapham was known for her good eye for fashion and colour, combined with good business sense. She was an imposing woman, always dressed immaculately in black or navy. Her floor length trains rustled as she moved around the salon and she left behind the scent of lavender, which she always wore. Madame Clapham's reputation as a fine dressmaker was at its height from 1890 but the outbreak of the First World War had a big impact on business as it resulted in a decline for the exquisite dresses of the earlier years.
Attitudes and social codes changed after the war and women gained a greater degree of freedom. Madame Clapham still created evening dresses in the new styles and expanded into corsetry and under garments to fit under certain dresses. The Second World War had an even bigger impact on the salon and nearly caused it to close. Rationing made fabrics expensive and many employees were made redundant or went to serve the war effort. The business did pick up but the demand for made-to-measure outfits declined.
Very little of the salon’s history has survived. A small part of the Madame Clapham collection held by Hull Museums can be seen in the "Story of Hull and its People" gallery at Hull's Hands on History museum but most of the gowns, clothing accessories, illustrations and other items – more than 100 in total – are kept safely in storage for conservation purposes.
Hull BID Fashion week provides the ideal opportunity to see some of the work by Hull School of Art and Design students to bring the Fashion Through the Ages event to life. Martin Taylor, City Archivist at Hull History Centre, said: “We are delighted to be able to hold this event as part of Hull History Centre’s contribution to HullBID Fashion Week.
“Fashion by its very nature tends to be contemporary and constantly changing and by attending this event visitors will have the opportunity to look back at a period in history when Hull led the way in providing high profile clientele – and even royalty – with the very best in haute couture.”
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID City Centre Manager, said: “Hull History Centre is the ideal location to tell the fantastic story of Madame Clapham, her links with royalty and her army of seamstresses.
“Their work is remembered at the Kingston Theatre Hotel, which is only yards from Hull History Centre, and Fashion Through the Ages will show how it has influenced students at Hull College.
“Most of the events of HullBID Fashion Week focus on modern trends and designs but this will give visitors a fascinating glimpse into the past.”
Fashion Through the Ages will take place at Hull History Centre from 11am until midday on Friday 3 May. To book a place call Hull History Centre on 01482 317500 or email hullhistorycentre@hullcc.gov.uk
For full details of the HullBID Fashion Week events visit: http://www.hullfashion.co.uk/
