Marion Foale
Encyclopedia
Foale attended Ilford County High School
Ilford County High School
Ilford County High School is a selective boys' secondary grammar school and a specialist science college in the Barkingside area of the London Borough of Redbridge.ICHS is a four-form entry school, each form comprising up to 30 pupils...
, where she entered (and won) several painting contests. After school she attended Walthamstow School of Art. Two years later, she realized that her love of art would never translate into a career that would sustain her, and decided to attend fashion school.
Early years
In 1959, she was one of the privileged few chosen from all the fashion design courses throughout the country to take a three year degree course at the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
under Professor Janey Ironside. Foale studied the three dimensional construction of garments and how differing fabrics behave by working freely on the tailor’s dummy, making a toile (mock up in calico).
In 1960, during her second year at the Royal College, Foale was asked to submit designs for the Queen’s mantle
Mantle (clothing)
A mantle is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat...
, worn for the Order of the British Empire dedication ceremony; previously a man had always performed this ceremony but, as Her Majesty did not wear trousers, a feminine ensemble was required. Marion’s design was chosen and it is still worn to this day.
Foale & Tuffin
Foale and Sally Tuffin both studied at the Royal College of Art, and together became part of the start of the Sixties cultural and fashion revolution. Foale and Tuffin left the Royal College of Art in 1961. "Foale and Tuffin" was born after they made an appointment to show two dresses to the buyer at Woollands 21 shop, next door to Harvey NicholsHarvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols, founded in 1813, is an upmarket department store chain. Its original store is in London. Founded in 1813 as a linen shop, it sells many international brands of clothing for women and men, fashion accessories, beauty products, wine and food...
, finding the buyer was desperate for merchandise from young designers. Foale and Tuffin took three floors of a narrow house and shopfront in Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques...
. Shunning Paris fashion, they turned their design focus towards ‘fun’ clothes.
By 1963, they fulfilled their ambitions of running a successful business without the help of a man. Displaying their distinctive garments in their shop window, Vogue magazine
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
found and admired them, selecting one dress to be photographed. David Bailey took the shot, resulting in their first picture appearing in Vogue in 1962. Introducing their ‘Young Ideas’ section, Vogue put many other young designers on the map at the same time, including John Bates
John Bates
John Bates may refer to:* John Bates , fashion designer who designed Diana Rigg's clothes in The Avengers* John Bates , former president of the UK Social Democratic Party...
, Bill Gibb, Gerald McCann, and Jean Muir
Jean Muir
Jean Elizabeth Muir, CBE, FCSD was an English fashion designer .-History and early career:...
. Foale and Tuffin became a part of Swinging London
Swinging London
Swinging London is a catch-all term applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in London, in the 1960s.It was a youth-oriented phenomenon that emphasised the new and modern. It was a period of optimism and hedonism, and a cultural revolution. One catalyst was the recovery of the...
; by 1963, they realised that their growing enterprise needed new premises.
In a little walkway called Malborough Court, off Carnaby Street, they found their first real premises. The business increased so rapidly that that they soon realised that they needed to open this as a shop.
When Americans became aware of the upsurge of the ‘Youth Quake’ happening in London, their firm wanted to be part of it. Together with Mary Quant
Mary Quant
Mary Quant OBE FCSD is a British] fashion designer and British fashion icon, who was instrumental in the mod fashion movement. She was one of the designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. Born in Blackheath, London, to Welsh parents, Quant brought fun and fantasy to...
and Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished...
, Foale and Tuffin were licensed to Puritan Fashion Corporation under a label called Paraphernalia. They embarked on whistle stop publicity tours around America, including Breakfast TV.
A book was published in October 2009, Foale and Tuffin: The Sixties. A Decade in Fashion by Iain R. Webb, published by ACC Publishing Group.
Family breaks and then Foale Ltd.
In the 1970s after both marrying and having children the business eventually declined. After a child break and the growing need to earn some money, Foale decided to move into knitwear, although this was not her area of expertise, actually knowing practically nothing about it. Hand knit was important at this time and everybody was knitting sweaters with pictures on them, or Arran and Fairisle styles. These garments were two dimensional, flat shapes, more or less like a “T” shape.Foale's aim was to create timeless designs with the emphasis on perfect detail and she soon realised that there was a market for the designs she was creating and so was launched Foale Ltd. In 1985 Marion Foale produced a knitting pattern book which was designed to be simple, with the most desirable, easy patterns for people to knit at home, using four ply and double knitting. She then moved into knitting three dimensionally, making garments that were tailored and shaped just like a jacket. In 1987, Foale opened a shop in Hinde Street, near Marylebone High Street
Marylebone High Street
Marylebone High Street is a shopping street in London, running sub-parallel to Baker Street and terminating at its northern end at the junction with the Marylebone Road...
.
Further reading
- Webb, Iain R. (2009). Foale and Tuffin: The Sixties. A Decade in Fashion, ACC Publishing, ISBN 1851496068