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THE SHOP WINDOW.

BRITISH INDUSTRIES FAIR. IMMENSE PROPORTIONS. [SPECIAL TO N.Z. HERALD. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, March 5. The British Industrial Fair which opened in London and Birmingham recently might truly be called the Shop Window of the Empire. Originally started during the war to stimulate trado and to show our own buyers where they could buy at home, the very articles they had ordered previously from the Continent.

To-day it has grown to such immense proportions that we are able to welcome the whole world and show them the entire products of the British Empire. As I toured a large part of the fair today, I wondered if there was anything we could not supply, while the beauty of colour, design, and workmanship is always a revelation to those visiting for the first

time. Naturally, I was looking for things of special interest to women, either for their personal wear of for the home, and my first stop was among tho hand bags, for the modern girl seems to possess them by the dozen. Some of the leathers are so exquisitely supple that one bag had a folded piece that was " gathered " with the fullness spreading like an extra flap. A great many are fastened with buckles, balls, and quaintly designed mounts of the rather massive-looking steel and chromium plate which matches the fashionable buttons and buckles. I particularly liked another type in real Panama straw in its natural colouring with fine pipings of different coloured leathers —tho lining matching the colour of the leather. A complete set of luggage, from tiny suit case to enormous innovation trunks made in a very new material, widely striped maroon red and fawn " duck " —varnished and bound with dark red leather and brass fittings. Luggage should be attractive these days when everyone buys special clothes to travel in, and no one looks travel stained at the end of the longest journey. Among the alluring beauties of the china and glass section I found an exhibit of Staffordshire porcelain that charmed the heart of every woman visitor. Bowls fitted with porcelain garden flowers for table centres, in sizes ranging from miniature ones of a few inches, to quite large bowls. Exquisite little posies complete with safety-pin fixed at the back to fasten on a gown or coat. Floral necklaces with fine gold chains and drop ear-rings to match, and even porcelain dress buckles. The charm of the little button-hole is that they wash and are always exquisitely fresh and only cost half-a-crown. I found exquisite specimens of the glovemakrrs' art, in some of the wide gauntlet gloves which will be the popular finish to the semi-military jackets and coats we shall wear this spring. Black, dark brown, and dark grey gloves have insertions on the cuffs of white, red, green or beige. Many of these gloves are hand-made, and a fancy bag to match one s gloves is a new idea in ensembles. The textile section of tho. fair is a veritable marvel. Cottons, woollens, silks for every possible use, in an endless variety of colourings, weaves and weights. A linen company has achieved an exquisite new dress material in jacqucred dress linen. It is quite soft and docs not crease, beautiful colours in a fancy weave, and launders like tho proverbial rag. A new material made of silk and cotton with a fine checked surface combines the best, qualities of both materials, for it drapes and hangs like silk and washes like cotton. An idea for tho homo worker was suggested to me by a tea table display. The creamy china was painted with a design of pink chrysanthemums, and the linen table cloth had each corner embroidered to match in the same flowers as the china. Another idea which you could also copy was tlie newest bathing suit. This was a plain coloured woollen slip of the usual abbreviation, and running down the entire length of one side was a string of embroidered flags, representing a naval signal! This particular firm had a wonderful display of these " water woollies," and one I liked showed an effect of black " shorts " with a yellow and huge, black-spotted top, with a short spotted beach coat to match. All the best water suits are woollen. " British Empire Cretonne " will probably go all over +he Empire, for this new design has captured tho imagination of the trado buyers. In the form of old tapestry on a boigo ground there are soft coloured designs of a lion under palms for Africa, kangaroos for Australia, kiwi for New Zealand, mosques for India, etc., and in between tho rose, tho thistle, and the shamrock of England. Scotland and Ireland. Finally, an enormous mannequin parade to show the assembled buyers of tho world how tht-so same textiles arc fashioned into exquisite models for every occasion. Yes, British fashions are established and wo have Paris designers at tho fair buying our fabrics.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19320423.2.177.51.30

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

Word Count
819

THE SHOP WINDOW. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE SHOP WINDOW. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

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