Celebrating four decades of British couture
Spencer House, London, 16th to 18th October, 2017
To mark its 40th anniversary, British couturier Catherine Walker & Co is holding an invitation-only exhibition at Spencer House to raise money for two charities, SSAFA and Brendoncare, supported by St James’s Place Wealth Management, held from the 16th to the 18th October, 2017.
Personally curated by Co-Founder and Head of Design Said Cyrus, exhibits will comprise archive pieces worn by Catherine Walker & Co’s most famous clientele, accompanied by their handwritten notes and original drawings. It will provide a unique insight into the extraordinary journey taken by the couturier, which Cyrus founded with his late wife Catherine Walker.
Guests will also get a glimpse of the inner workings and specialist crafts of the 30-person Chelsea atelier. The exhibition will traverse the four-decade story of the House, from its humble beginnings in a Sydney Street townhouse in 1977, right up to the present day, with designs on display from the new Autumn Winter 2017 collection designed by Said Cyrus, who is writing a new chapter in the history of the company.
Events will be hosted by St James’s Place and the two charities: SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, and Brendoncare, the Hampshire-based older people’s charity which is currently building an innovative scheme to keep couples together after diagnosis of dementia.
Commented Catherine Walker & Co’s Said Cyrus:
“In this exhibition I see the dresses that landmark the stages of our company’s 40 year history. Seven years on from my wife’s death, she would have been proud to see the House now entering its fifth decade supported by loyal clients, old and new, from around the world. It gives me great pleasure to share this with those attending the exhibition.”
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For further information, loans and visuals, please contact Sara or Will at Button Collective:
Sara Jensen: sara.jensen@buttoncollective.co.uk / + 44 (0) 203 617 4377 / +44 (0) 7812 339 313
Will Heron: will.heron@buttoncollective.co.uk / +44 (0) 20 3301 6332 / +44 (0) 7437 438 024
Editor’s Notes:
Catherine Walker founded Catherine Walker & Co 40 years ago in 1977 with her business partner and husband Said Cyrus, a former lecturer in design theory for ten years at the Chelsea School of Art.
The House designs two collections each year, including evening and cocktail dresses, business and occasion suits, day and coat dresses and wedding dresses.
Catherine Walker & Co was perhaps the first House in the UK to introduce Savile Row tailoring to women’s formal and occasion wear in the 1970s.
Independently owned, under Said Cyrus’ direction the Catherine Walker & Co design team is free to focus on delivering unparalleled quality and attention to its clientele.
For more information, please visit www.catherinewalker.com
About Brendoncare:
Brendoncare is a registered charity (no. 326508) based in Winchester, providing 10 care homes and four housing with care developments across the south of England. We are currently building an innovative scheme to keep couples together after a diagnosis of dementia. Brendoncare also runs more than 90 friendship and wellbeing clubs across Dorset and Hampshire for older people who may otherwise be lonely. We provide a hardship fund for people who simply cannot afford to get to our clubs, meaning nobody is excluded, whatever their financial situation.
For more information, please visit www.brendoncare.org.uk
About St. James’s Place:
St. James’s Place Wealth Management is a leading UK wealth management organisation. Founded in 1991, St. James’s Place was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1997 and is a FTSE 100 company, with over £80 billion funds under management. The company provides face-to-face advice to clients based on their individual needs and circumstances, adapting the advice as requirements change over time to ensure that recommendations remain appropriate.
About SSAFA:
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity (formerly known as the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Association), provides lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force, and their families. This includes both regulars and reserves. Every year our staff and team of volunteers help more than 60,000 people, from Second World War veterans to young men and women who have served in Afghanistan and Syria.
For more information visit www.ssafa.org.uk and follow us on Twitter: @SSAFA
