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Henry Moss

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Henry Moss
Born
Henry Tiskovitz

1933 (age 90–91)
London, England
OccupationEntrepreneur
Years active1954–
Known forCarnaby Street
Lady Jane Boutique
SpouseLilian Silverman
Children2, including Danny Ben-Moshe

Henry Moss (born October 1933) is a British clothing and food entrepreneur, notable for women's fashion and associated with the emergence of London's Carnaby Street as a world centre of fashion in the swinging sixties.

Personal life

Henry Moss, born Henry Tiskovitz, in October 1933 at Mother Levy's Nursing Home,[1] Tower Hamlets, East London. The family later relocated to Dorset, eventually settling in Winton, where Moss was educated at Bournemouth School. In 1962 Moss married Lilian Moss (née Silverman), subject of the BBC documentary, My Mother's Lost Children.[2][3] The couple settled in Hampstead Garden Suburb, North London. They have a son and daughter; Daniel, holder of the Centenary Medal, was associate professor at Deakin University and is a documentary maker;[4][5] Ira who set up and runs the charity All Dogs Matter.[6][7]

Work

Moss's first businesses, Mann & Moss (Pay as you wear) Ltd & Mann & Moss (Camden) Ltd,[8] began in 1954 at age 21 with his uncle, Percy Mann, supplying goods to homes around London, providing credit for lower income families. Around 1960 Moss established his first fashion businesses retailing ladies and children's clothes; Camden Fashions at 67a Camden High Street & Children's Fashion Centre at 80 Camden High Street, London.[9][10] Around 1965 Moss was inspired to move to Carnaby Street by his neighbours, the Gold brothers, who had opened their Lord John store there.

Carnaby Street

Moss and Harry Fox opened Lady Jane, the first ladies boutique,[citation needed] at 29 Carnaby Street[11][12] in April 1966 In one of London's most famous publicity stunts, Moss and Fox had models Diane James and Gina Baker[13][14] dressing in the window, drawing huge crowds and landing him in trouble with the police[15] resulting in an appearance at Great Marlborough Street Court and a fine of £2.00,[16] the brainchild of then PR man Michael Freedland.[17] Other publicity stunts included trousers at Claridges.[18][19] In 1967 Fox stood for election as an 'Independent Carnaby Street' candidate for the Cities of London and Westminster.[20] See through clothing and paint on bras[21] were all part of the promotion and image of the time.[citation needed]

Cat Stevens worked in the boutique for a short time and customers included Martha & the Vandellas, Nancy Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Julia Foster, Joan Collins and her then husband Anthony Newley. Regular patrons included Michael Crawford, Georgie Fame and actress Sylva Koscina. Claudia Cardinale was introduced to the boutique by designer Pierre Cardin. An interview with actress Jayne Mansfield[22][23] further raised Lady Jane's profile but by 1968 Moss and Fox had parted company. In 1966 Moss rented 15 Foubert's Place to I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, establishing their first shop in the Carnaby Street area.[citation needed] Later, around 1968–69 Moss entered into a joint venture with them, opening a shop on Piccadilly Circus.[citation needed]

In spring 1968 Henry Moss launched Sweet Fanny Adams, located at 47A Carnaby Street.[11] The shop retailed ladies underwear and swimming costumes[24] as well as acting as a centre for the burgeoning demand for nylon tights which supplanted stockings as nylon technology improved.

Later in 1968 Moss opened Pussy Galore,[25][26][27][28] named after Honor Blackman's character in the James Bond film Goldfinger. The shop was located at 5–7 Carnaby Street.[11] Moss's white crocheted dress creation, made from a tablecloth, was included in the 2006 V&A 'Sixties Fashion' exhibition.[25][29] Regular visitors included Francoise Pascal. After winning 'best legs in London' competition Tamasin Day-Lewis was awarded £100 to spend in Pussy Galore.[30]

Moss set up The London Mob in 1968, a clothing production company.[31][32][33] This allowed him to both retail and wholesale his creations.[34] Design was based at Stephen House, 52–55 Carnaby Street with the main showroom at 63 Great Portland Street. Moss served a writ on Sammy Davies Jr in 1968 whilst on stage at the London Palladium, in Golden Boy. Sammy Davies had failed to pay for the show clothes. In 1968 Moss ventured to USA, opening the first contemporary pop-up shop on Kings Highway in Brooklyn for two days.

Post Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street had influenced fashion across the world but by the mid 1970s Carnaby Street came into decline as fashion outlets moved into King's Road and Kensington High Street.

Travelling to Turkey as part of a British export trade initiative in early 1974 to promote The London Mob, Moss was Invited to a night club in Istanbul, his credit cards were stolen, then served with an exorbitant bill and held to ransom by the owners. Negotiating his release he contacted the Turkish police who took Moss back to the night club where they administered rough justice. Back at his hotel Moss was astounded to see everyone seemed to know him unaware the incident had become front-page news. Presenting himself in the foyer, Turkish Airlines Captain Atilla Celebi offered Moss the opportunity to fly out of Turkey a day earlier than planned. To Moss's amazement the next day he found the flight he would have taken, Turkish Airlines Flight 981, had crashed. In an ironic twist it transpired that Captain Celebi's wife was already a customer of The London Mob.

In the late 1970s Moss established the company Henry Moss of London Ltd, a fashion export business based at 25 Margaret Street, W1. In 1979 Moss contested a VAT export procedure which led to a change in VAT protocol after appealing a VAT tribunal,[35] setting the ruling as a frequently quoted Court of Appeal case.[36] In a 1980 Court of Appeal ruling adjudicated by Lord Denning, Moss eventually lost his case on a technicality.[37]

Around mid 1980s Moss moved into the catering sector creating Munchkin's[38] a themed restaurant he currently owns and operates.

In 2010 the London College of Fashion celebrated 50 years of Fashion & Music in Carnaby Street 1960–2010, inviting the surviving entrepreneurs that made it happen.[39]

In 2011 Danny Ben-Moshe produced a documentary about Carnaby Street in its heyday called 'Carnaby Street Undressed' featuring interviews with Roger Daltrey of The Who, Robert Orbach of I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet, Warren Gold of Lord John & Henry Moss[40]

In 2019 Moss was awarded a green plaque by Westminster City Council for his contribution to fashion, specifically Lady Jane as the first iconic ladies fashion boutique of Carnaby Street.[41]

References

  1. ^ "So Long, Mother Levy's Nursing Home | Spitalfields Life". Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  2. ^ "BBC Four – Storyville, My Mother's Lost Children". BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Identity Films " My Mother's Lost Children". Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Danny Ben-Moshe". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Identity Films". Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. ^ "All Dogs Matter". All Dogs Matter. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  7. ^ World, Green (28 November 2017). "An Evening with All Dogs Matter". Green World TV. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  8. ^ ltd, company check. "Mann , Company and Director Search". Company Check. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  9. ^ ltd, company check. "Childrens Fashion Centre, Company and Director Search". Company Check. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  10. ^ ltd, company check. "Camden Fashions, Company and Director Search". Company Check. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  11. ^ a b c "Sixties City – Bringin' On Back The Good Times! Soho – The Heart of Swinging Sixties London". sixtiescity.net. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  12. ^ "History". carnaby.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  13. ^ Strike, Karen (19 February 2016). "Models in a Carnaby Street Shop Window (1966)". Flashbak. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  14. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo – May 05, 1966 – THE LAW MOVES IN ON THE LIVE MODEL WINDOW DISPLAY For the second day running, there was a large crowd, in London's Carnaby Street, outside the Lady June". Alamy. Retrieved 13 December 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ "Reuters Archive Licensing". Reuters Archive Licensing. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  16. ^ "May 11, 1966 Lady Jane opens in Carnaby Street, London. Lady Jane was the fir..." Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  17. ^ "The naked truth about Carnaby Street". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  18. ^ "Fashion Designer Ladye Jane Boutique Owner Henry Editorial Stock Photo – Stock Image | Shutterstock". Shutterstock Editorial. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  19. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo – Aug. 08, 1967 – How To Get into Claridges in a Trouser Suit: It took a dress designer-cum-pop singer called Susan Jane Griffiths to demonstrate in full the essential absurdity". Alamy. Retrieved 13 December 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com http://londondatastore-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/GLC_1967-4-13.pdf. Retrieved 13 December 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ "Lady Jane: The serious business of wearing a see-through". get some vintage-a-peel. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  22. ^ "Jayne Mansfield Wearing Open Dress Lady Janes Editorial Stock Photo – Stock Image | Shutterstock". Shutterstock Editorial. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Jayne Mansfield". Media Storehouse. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  24. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo – A woman in large sunglasses sporting a feather boa poses outside Sweet Fanny Adams, a Carnaby Street womenswear boutique founded by Henry Moss. Among the items on display in". Alamy. Retrieved 16 December 2018. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  25. ^ a b "pussy galore | get some vintage-a-peel". Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  26. ^ "Vintage Fashion Guild : Label Resource : Pussy Galore". vintagefashionguild.org. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  27. ^ trainsandstuff (20 February 2017), Pussy Galore, Carnaby Street, London 1969, retrieved 26 September 2019
  28. ^ trainsandstuff (24 February 2017), Pussy Galore, 5–7 Carnaby Street, London 1969, retrieved 26 September 2019
  29. ^ Victoria and Albert Museum, Digital Media (25 January 2013). "Past Exhibitions and Displays 2006". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  30. ^ Day-Lewis, Tamasin (17 February 2010). "Tamasin Day-Lewis: Am I the 'leggy temptress' in Martin Amis's new novel?". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  31. ^ Weight, Richard (2013). Mod!: A Very British Style. Bodley Head. ISBN 9780224073912.
  32. ^ "Vintage Fashion Guild : Label Resource : London Mob". vintagefashionguild.org. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  33. ^ "Vintage Fashion Guild : Label Resource : London Mob". vintagefashionguild.org. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  34. ^ Fen, Lady (17 March 2012). "Swinging Sixties". Trash Chic. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  35. ^ "Henry Moss of London Ltd. & Anor. v Customs and Excise Commissioners. (1979) 1 BVC 292 | Croner-i Tax and Accounting". library.croneri.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  36. ^ "VEXP30200 – VAT Export and Removal of Goods from the UK – HMRC internal manual". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  37. ^ "Customs and Excise Commissioners v Henry Moss of London Ltd. and Anor. (1980) 1 BVC 373 | Croner-i Tax and Accounting". library.croneri.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  38. ^ "Welcome to Munchkins Restaurant!". munchkins-restaurant-london.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  39. ^ "Celebrating 50 Years Of Fashion And Music at Carnaby Street". UAL News. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  40. ^ Kym Oeser, Carnaby Street Undressed (Trailer), retrieved 11 December 2018
  41. ^ "Decision – Commemorative Green Plaque for the former Lady Jane boutique, Carnaby Street". Government of the United Kingdom. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
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