LibGuides: Fashion & Textiles: Useful Websites

Patterns

Commercial Pattern Archive (COPA)
Details some of the main pattern libraries (particularly US). The CoPA project electronically captures and records commercial pattern data in order to preserve these scattered and vanishing records of European and American culture.
VADS - online resource for visual arts
Pattern images from collections including the London College of Fashion Paper Patterns Collection, and The Arts University College at Bournemouth Design Collection.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Pattern catalogues in the collections of the V&A.
Vintage Sewing Patterns
A collaborative Wikia dedicated to Vintage Sewing Patterns (25 years old or older) that anyone can edit. Browse vintage dress patterns and completed vintage sewing projects, explore amusing illustrations and ogle classic movie stars. Search patterns available from vintage pattern vendors or add your name to a wishlist.

Fashion Design

Fashion.net
Provides links to a range of fashion related sites, plus daily fashion news, designer profiles, biographies and catwalk shows. Includes job listings and tips.
First View
Photographs and videos of men's and women's collections from around the world. Latest collections only available to paying subscribers.
Paul Smith
Features the Paul Smith history, current collections, newsletter,competitions and games.

Fashion Journals

Elle
Elle magazine includes style news, fashion news and designer biographies.
Six magazine
News and features covering designers, individuals, brands and companies creating a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry.

Vogue Archive This link opens in a new window
A complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution colour page images. Every page, advertisement, cover and fold-out has been included, with rich indexing enabling you to find images by garment type, designer and brand names.

Lingerie

Gossard
Information about and the latest collections from the lingerie company Gossard. Includes style and sizing guides.
Triumph International
Underwear and swimwear from the Triumph range.

Organisations and Museums

Cite de la dentelle et de la mode (Museum of Lace and Fashion)
The Museum of Lace and Fashion is a specialist museum inside an authentic nineteenth century lace factory in Calais, France. Presents the techniques, the lingerie and haute couture associated with this prestigious textile, as well as its most contemporary aspects.
Costume Society
Exists to promote the history of costume. Includes lists of recent articles from the journal Costume and a calendar of events.
Design Nation, Sleaford
Promotes the work of some 100 of the most talented designers working in the UK.
Essence
Black Women's Lifestyle Guide, Black Love & Beauty Trends. Online destination for African-American women., and a daily source for African American-related news, entertainment and community.
Europeana Fashion
brings together the digitised fashion collections of more than 30 European public and private museums and archives. Explore collections in many ways including by designer, technique or material.
Fashion and Textile Museum, London
Centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery in London. Founded by Zandra Rhodes, the centre showcases fashion, textiles and jewellery.
Fashion Museum, Bath
One of the world's finest collections of fashionable dress and accessories.
Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections
Archives and museum objects of the Glasgow School of Art, including Textiles.
Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT)
Fashion museum in New York which hosts exhibitions, programs, and publications that are both entertaining and educational. The permanent collection encompasses some 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present.
Museum of Leathercraft
Preserves and encourages high standards of craftsmanship and design in the leather industry and to collect and showcase these items. The collection consists of over 5000 items that span several centuries, cultures and crafts reflecting the development of leathercraft across the world.
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
The largest collection of shoe heritage in the world, featuring more than 12,000 shoes from Egyptian footwear to contemporary British design, documentary footage and fine art.
Stuart Hall Library
A specialist library that centres art and theory publications from the Global Majority, African, Asian, Caribbean, Polynesian, Latinx, and Diaspora perspectives. The library serves as the intellectual and social hub of iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts), its home.
Textile Institute, Manchester
Promotes and disseminates information in the global textile, clothing and footwear industries.
UAL Decolonising Arts Institute
The UAL Decolonising Arts Institute seeks to challenge colonial and imperial legacies, disrupting ways of seeing, listening, thinking and making in order to drive cultural, social and institutional change.
Vestoj
Platform for critical thinking on fashion, bringing together academia, the museum world and the fashion industry.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The V&A is the world's largest museum of the decorative arts and is home to 145 galleries, including collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and photographs.

Design Trends

First View

Includes photographs and videos of men's and women's collections from around the world. Please note that the very latest collections are only available to paying subscribers.

Just-Style

This site contains up-to-date news from the world of textiles and fashion. DMU students can login to view the newsletter. Login: dmustudents, Password: ideal

WGSN

Forecasting, trend analysis and insight into style, fashion and design; includes one of the largest fashion image libraries, and online workspace and design tools for personal creative development.

Full details for WGSN

Organisations and Museums

The Textile Institute

The Textile Institute promotes and disseminates information in the global textile, clothing and footwear industries.

Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of the decorative arts and is home to 145 galleries, including national collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion, textiles and photographs.

Design Nation
Promotes the work of some 100 of the most talented designers working in the UK.
Fashion and Textile Museum
Centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery in London. Founded by Zandra Rhodes, the centre showcases fashion, textiles and jewellery.
Fashion Museum
One of the world's finest collections of fashionable dress and accessories.
Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections
Archives and museum objects of the Glasgow School of Art, including Textiles.
BITA - British Interior Textiles Association

Fashion Industry

American Apparel and Footwear Association
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) is the national trade association representing apparel, footwear and other sewn products companies, and their suppliers, which compete in the global market.
Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry
Association for the clothing industry from fibre manufacture to garment manufacture, retail and aftercare. Offers technical and commercial excellence.
NOTE Membership to the ASBCI is free to DMU students as the university has opted for premiership status - register here
http://www.asbci.co.uk/students-join
British Fashion Council
The British Fashion Council is a not-for-profit organisation that harnesses the collective power of the industry to enable sustainable growth and strengthen British fashion in the global fashion economy
British Footwear Industry
The British Footwear Association supports the British footwear industry, promoting its members and providing an unrivalled go-to resource for everything about the business.
British Pathe - The Fashion Archive
A collection of fashion related content from The British Pathe Film Archive. Fashion designers, haute couture shows, fashion industry footage and news reels. Vintage designs.
The Fashion Business
An essential daily resource for fashion creatives, executives and entrepreneurs which provides an informed, analytical and opinionated point of view on the fashion business.
Fashion and Race Database
Tools and links which expand the narrative and centralise and decolonise fashion history and fashion objects.
Go blu blog - The Fashion Sustainability Week in Review
Overview of news and reports related to fashion sustainability in general and in the supply chain.
Islamic Fashion & Design Council
A global platform for the modest fashion and design industry, providing support and opportunities, with global initiatives and offices.
Open Apparel Registry
The open map of global apparel facilities.
Pantone
Provides a universal language of colour that enables colour-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. For graphics, fashion and product design.
SneakerFreaker
News, articles, ideas and info on sneaker brands, events, and features.
UK Leather
The UK Leather Federation (UKLF) is the trade association for the UK leather industry.
World Footwear
Produce very useful statistics and global industry analysis for footwear