Jean Muir : beyond fashion

With the recent closure of Jean Muir Ltd., interest in the life and work of the Iconic British fashion designer has never been greater. Jean Muir (1928-1995), doyenne of dressmaking, is forever associated with the 'little black dress'. Her signature style married a distinctive purity of line with a soft fluidity on the body, to create the sensuous, deceptively simple clothes that became her trademark, epitomised by her work in matte jersey, and in particular her jersey dresses, which brought her legendary status in an internationally-renowned career that spanned four decades. Working with a range of fabrics, which apart from her matte jersey included wools, silks, suedes, leather, and fine cashmere, she was the first designer on the international stage to apply couture quality and craftsmanship in her collections. Whilst the French accorded her the title 'la nouvelle Reine de la Robe', the actress Joanna Lumley, a Jean Muir house model in the '70s, who has worn Muir designs ever since, famously st