Mattli

Giuseppe Mattli (1907–1982), usually known as Mattli or Jo Mattli, was a Swiss-born and London-based fashion designer known for his couture designs and, later, his ready-to-wear clothing and couture patterns.

A member of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers (IncSoc) – making him a key player in shaping London's post-war couture industry – he was characterised by British Vogue in March 1953 as a go-to designer women could trust: "Mattli's clothes have charming wearable qualities...One feels he cares more about dressing women than putting over fashion themes, good though his are."

Early life and career Giuseppe Gustavo Mattli was born in Locarno, Switzerland and grew up in the Italian-speaking southern city of Lugano as one of a family of 14 children (12 of them were girls).

Couture house Mattli was among the earliest members of IncSoc and, in common with other major London couturiers, was involved in promoting British fashion designed around utility principles during and immediately after the war. Once the strictures of rationing were relaxed, IncSoc set out to promote its role, and that of British couture as a rival to Paris. He shared premises in Knightsbridge with fellow IncSoc member Charles Creed after the war. As Vogue highlighted, Mattli was perhaps more at home creating practical and wearable fashion focusing on understated fine detailing.

Ready-to-wear fashion In 1955, the company Mattli worked with went into liquidation, signalling his move away from couture and into ready-to-wear clothing. He was also an expert contributor to the 1967 BBC sewing series Clothes that Count, helping to customise a shirtwaister pattern for a keen sewer who appeared on the programme and also contributing to the Radio Times features that accompanied the series.

By 1973, Mattli was running a 'Continental boutique' on the premises where his couture house had once stood. Retaining a small number of workroom staff for alterations, he was presenting collections selected from Swiss, Italian and French houses, including designers such as Nina Ricci. He described this move into ready-to-wear as meeting the needs of modern women, who wanted fashion immediately that could be changed frequently: "I have come to the conclusion that couture has now outlived its purpose".

Mattli retired to the village of Curridge, Berkshire, where he died in 1982. He is the subject of a thesis entitled Famous, Forgotten. Found: rediscovering the career of London couture fashion designer Giuseppe (Jo) Mattli, 1934-1980 by textile conservationist Dr Caroline Ness. University of Glasgow has been working with the Fashion Museum, Bath to create a catalogue and database to provide researchers with access to material about Mattli's 30-year-plus involvement with the British high fashion industry.