Sylvia Grey - eine wahre Geschichte...

Who was Sylvia Grey?

1. Born in the 1920s in Leicester, United Kingdom.
Her mother Lilly Grey in the first year of Sylvia's birth found herself alone, her husband left them both, never to be heard of again. It was hard in the 1920s to bring a young baby up on your own, unacceptable, they both found themselves isolated apart from the love and support of their immediate family.

2. Sylvia grew up to become a beautiful and very talented young lady. In her early years it became obvious to her mother, that Sylvia had a talent and natural skill for drawing and painting. In her early teenage years, Sylvia would often be found sketching fashion drawing with precision and in such detail.

3. When she became 18 yrs old, she joined the fashion department of Allderleys (a high street chain of department stores in the late 1930s and 1940s).
Here she developed her skills in fashion drawing and design, producing many hand drawings showing the latest fashions. These were used as display within the stores, and used for editorial advertising in national newspapers.
Sylvia also used her skills to design shoes. This she did at the advent of the Fully Fashioned Stocking. She immediately recognised that this type of stocking enhanced the look and appearance of a women's leg. Gone were the days when women had to wear those thick pure silk stockings that would often wrinkle around the ankles. Now women had the choice. These Fully Fashion Nylons not only were lighter in weight, they also did not wrinkle. Now shoes could be designed to add to the elegant look. Waist became tighter on dresses and suits. Girdles became lighter and smaller. Gone were the days when a women had to be laced up into a full corset, freedom was here at last, women felt like women, they felt sexy and attractive.

Sylvia's sketch

4. With the advent of the war, and especially in the UK stockings became a rareatity. The only supply for the women of this period was the black market and the visiting GIs. These American soldiers became very popular. Not only could they dance well, but also they supplied those gorgeous 'Nylons'.

5. During this period Sylvia's social life was blooming, everyone wanted to meet her; here was a women who knew what the word elegance meant in the fashion world. With many large country house parties at the weekend, she came into contact with the High Society of London and the UK. It was at one of these weekends that she was to meet the man that would drive her to her death.

6. On a sunny day in late spring during the early 1940s, when Sylvia was only 23yrs old, whilst she was a passenger in an open top sports car, with a handsome RAF Pilot by her side, they crashed at a place called 'Bull in the Hollow' near Loughborough in Leicestershire UK.

7. Sylvia in the prime of her life, when her beauty and talent were at their height, sustained serve head injuries. For three days she remained in a coma, only to die on the third day with her devoted Mother by her side. She was buried in Wigston cemetery in Leicester. Her simple headstone was made in the shape of an artist's paint pallet, with two stone brushes attached. The simple words read: "TO MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, LOVE MUMMY".

8. Her Mother tried very hard to regain some quality of life, on her return from burying her daughter, Lilly took all the drawings and photograph album's, wrapped them up and put them into a chest, then locked the chest.Lilly remarried in the 1950s to a wealthy London businessman, but she never regained her zest for life.

Sylvia Grey

Sylvia Grey

30 years later her niece Alice came to stay at their home in Torquay, Devon Alice was the daughter of Lilly's sister Amy. Lilly enjoyed having a teenager once again in her life. Alice can remember as a small child seeing the beautiful photograph of Sylvia that Lilly always had placed in a prominent position in the lounges of her substantial homes. As a child, Alice was not prepared for the impact that Sylvia would have on her own life to come.

During Alice's holiday in Torquay, her Auntie Lilly would talk in more detail about Sylvia, then one day whilst Alice was lying in bed, Lilly opened the chest and showed her the drawings and paintings that had not seen daylight for 30 years.

Lilly died in the early 1980s abandoned by her rich husband, she was left to deteriorate in a nursing home. This elegant women who loved life, and loved her daughter died alone. In her will she left all the drawings to her niece Alice.

Her drawings

9. Fate would have it that unknown to anyone as a teenager Alice applied for a job in a big department store in Leicester as a trainee buyer for Handbags and Gloves. This store was Marshall Snelgroves in Leicester. During that first summer Alice enjoyed meeting new people, and one lunch time Alice realised whilst looking at the photographs from Sylvia's album, that Sylvia had some 35 years previous stood in the same spot and had her photograph taken. In fact, Alice was now working in the same store that Sylvia had worked all those years ago. From then on Sylvia became an important part of Alice's life. She too had the skill for drawing and fashion.

10. Alice married in the late 1960s and had framed everyone of the drawings from Sylvia, these she hung with pride in her lounge. Until the day of her divorce. When her ex husband stole them and stored them unprotected in his garage for 11years. During this time, they accumulated damp, dirt, and damage. They were again brought into the daylight three years ago when he gave them to Alice's 20 year old daughter. Now at least the heritage of these excellent drawings are once again safe. But the neglect of standing in a garage for all those years has taken their toll, as you maybe able to see from this small selection shown on this web site.

Sylvia Grey was a women with insight into Fashion. She recognised the potential of design and elegance.

When 'Nylons' hit the fashion scene, Sylvia quickly adapted dresses and suits to capture the elegant look. Then she designed shoes, that were elegant and high, shoes that spelled 'Women'.

We at Branches Online are happy to present the Sylvia collection. May her name and designs once again live on in the 21st Century's fashion world!

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