On April 14th I attend a rather special event which partnered two important important fashion players in West Yorkshire. Yorkshire Textiles and Harvey Nichols in Leeds. The partnership was formed with the help of a number of different wonderful people, including the lovely Carolyn and Susie of Leeds Fashion Works. And Jonathan Dyson of Twist magazine.
Harvey Nichols has transformed its floors to incorporate fabrics from 11 mills from all over Yorkshire. We had a tour of each floor and a talk about the vision the visual merchandising team had when putting together the displays. The aim is to educate the public about Yorkshire Textiles and how rich in history and prestige it really is. Susan Gaunt from Sunny Bank Mill Archive also donated some of their books to be put on display.
Also at the event were some Leeds Met students who had also been involved in the project. They had made coats from some local textiles for..... whippets! These dogs were then filmed with the coats on, and the film is now being projected on the 4th floor of the store.
A few speeches were made on the night to thank all the people involved and there were a few toasts too.
I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Sharon from No.15 in Leeds. We had a natter about all things fashion over some lovely wine. Also we were discussing Carolyn's lovely Prada shoes.
The event was amazing and everyone has worked so well together to create something everyone can enjoy and appreciate while in Harvey Nichols. I do hope that Harvey Nichols will continue to raise the profile of Yorkshire in the fashion industry.(Pictures by Sandis Kajins)
