Michael Sherard

Michael Sherard (17 July 1910 – 26 December 1998) was a British fashion designer and a member of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers, which represented the British couture industry in the wartime and post-war years. Operating his own label from the 1940s to 1960s, he is remembered primarily for his evening and occasion gowns. He also helped train future British designers, including Caroline Charles, and was later a design academic.

Early life and career Michael Sherard was born Malcolm Henry Sherrard, recorded in portraits of his family now held by the National Portrait Gallery. Later he would change his professional name, but insist that he was not a couturier but a dressmaker.

Sherard was educated at Berkhamsted School, where one of his teachers developed his love of the classics and encouraged his interest in drawing and theatre. Sherard not only created gowns for private clients, but also costumes for some 30 West End theatre productions, including The Mousetrap and The Reluctant Debutante, during this period.

By 1952, Sherard had accrued enough funds and reputation to move to a new salon in Curzon Street, Mayfair and he also lived in nearby Albany for two years, sharing a grand apartment at a stellar London address with Fraser and two dachshunds Hansel and Humperdinck; it was the location of many parties. A 1961 review of his spring lines syndicated to the US and Canadian press describes his use of the 'wagtail' line (short at the front tapering to long at the back) on jackets. The review noted that he had even used this style to create a bolero with full-length train for the bridal gown in his show's finale.

Later career In the early 1950s Sherard attempted to branch out into ready-to-wear with a line known as Pumkin, but this proved unsuccessful.

Legacy Caroline Charles was among Sherard's assistants in the 1960s, subsequently moving on to Mary Quant before launching her own couture label that dressed both rock stars and royalty. The designer Murray Arbeid – also noted for his elegant evening gowns – was an assistant at the fashion house. In 2012, Sherard's work formed part of the exhibition Glamour, a retrospective of 100 years of evening wear held at the Bath Museum of Costume. Some of his designs and his work drawings also form part of the V&A fashion archive.