Fashion City
How Jewish Londoners shaped global style
Immerse yourself in the glamourous and skilful world of fashion and learn about the Jewish tailors and fashion designers who made London an iconic fashion capital. Perfect for KS3/4 groups studying migration, social change post 1945, or art and design. Open 13 October 2023 – 14 April 2024
Plan a school visit to our latest exhibition
For the first time, this exhibition will uncover the major contribution of Jewish designers in making London an iconic fashion city. Discover the stories behind the Jewish fashion makers who became leaders in their industries, founded retail chains still on the high street today, and dressed the rich and famous – including David Bowie, Princess Diana and Mick Jagger.
Find out more about the exhibition on the Fashion City exhibition page.
J.H. & M. Fisher outside their umbrella shop, Spitalfields, 1919
Links to your teaching
Fashion City is a great opportunity for cross-curricular learning for Key Stages 3 and up, as it includes elements of Art and Design, History, and Geography.
This exhibition shows connections between the East End of London, a centre of the textile trade and garment manufacture, and the West End’s famous fashion houses, and shows how both of these have influenced British culture and society in the 20th century. A perfect case study for KS3 history, social, cultural and technological change in post-war Britain.
Fashion City explores the history of Jewish migration into London and the influence this community has had on the textile, garment, and fashion industry, creating links to both KS3 history (the impact through time of the migration of people to, from and within the British Isles) and geography (human geography relating to population and urbanisation).
Your students will have the chance to explore 20th century fashion design history and learn about different materials and techniques used, to support their KS3 Art and Design studies.
The exhibition also links to the following GSCE exam specifications:
- AQA GCSE History: Migration, Empires and the People: Migrants to and from Britain: Huguenot migration, Jewish migration to Britain, the legacy of Empire: migration from Asia
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE History: Migrants in Britain
- OCR GCSE History: Migration to Britain c.1000 to c.2010 / Urban Environments: Patterns of Migration’ including Whitechapel c1870–c1900
Book a self-led visit
School groups can book to visit the exhibition for free from Mondays to Thursdays during term time at 10.15am and 10.45am.
To book please fill in our self-directed booking form and select Fashion City on the ‘Gallery Resources’ section of the form (on page 4).
Make a planning visit
We have a limited number of tickets available for teachers to make free planning visits to prepare for group visits. Please phone our Box Office on 020 7001 9844 to book your ticket.
Contact us
If you have any questions about bringing a school group to the exhibition, please contact [email protected]
Museum of London Docklands
Free teacher study day in collaboration with OCR
Are you teaching, or thinking of teaching, the OCR Migrants to Britain thematic study for History GCSE? Let yourself be inspired by our free teacher study day in collaboration with OCR. The day includes a curator tour of our Fashion City exhibition, expert talks and time with OCR - and lunch is on us!
This free study day will be useful for teaching any migration units, not just OCR.
Join us and learn about the Jewish designers in the East End who made London an iconic fashion city.