Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers

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The Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc) was started in 1942 to promote British fashion and help create luxury couture for export during the war. Its goal was to strengthen ties between the government and the fashion industry and to represent London couturiers, offering a strong alternative to Paris couture after the war. Early on, members designed 34 utility garments under the Couturier Scheme to show that high-fashion could still be elegant under rationing; these prototypes were shown in Vogue and some were donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum. After the war, IncSoc organized London shows to run alongside Paris, making it easier for overseas buyers to see both cities’ collections. In 1949, a film called Maytime in Mayfair featured outfits from ten member designers. The founding members were known as the “Big Eight,” later becoming the “Big Ten,” and membership required a two-thirds vote with usually four collections shown. From 1956, the society also welcomed associate memberships for related industries such as hosiery, knitwear, shoes, fur, and millinery. By the late 1960s, IncSoc faced high taxes and competition from ready-to-wear brands, and it gradually shrank. In 1969–70 it stopped running joint buyer events, with designers hosting individual shows instead, and the society finally disbanded in the 1970s. It was later succeeded by the British Fashion Council. IncSoc was also known as IncSoc, Inc Soc, or ISLFD.