THE SHAWL SHOW 2025
The C&TA hosted a catwalk show of Victorian shawls generously loaned from privately owned collections.
The event was a rare opportunity to see these beautiful, high quality garments being worn as they were intended.
It was held in the Victorian conservatory of Carrow House, Norwich, once home of the Colman family.
Some of the shawls modelled at the show were probably worn by their first owners at social events held for fashionable Norwich high society in this venue.
We were very grateful to the shawl owners and collectors who kindly loaned their precious shawls for the show. After the event, a respected trader in shawls described the collection, especially the early shawls, as 'superlative'.
The Show was held in tribute to one of our founding members, shawl expert, Helen Hoyte (1924-2024).
You can see below a selection of images from the event.
Parade of Shawls...
For most of the nineteenth century one piece of clothing that no woman would be without was her Shawl.
As fashions changed the shawls grew in both size and complexity and the enterprising weavers and textile manufacturers of Norwich became acclaimed worldwide as makers of the finest examples of this fashionable textile.
Shawls were first made in Norwich in 1780, woven from cotton and hand embroidered with worsted thread.
In 1802 it became possible to weave the design directly on the draw loom. These new-look shawls became known as Norwich ‘fillover’ shawls. Hand woven in elaborate colour schemes by master weavers they required great skill to make and commanded high prices – superior Norwich shawls were favoured by royalty and some sold for as much as 50 guineas.
In 1830 the production process became more mechanised with the introduction of the Jacquard loom using punched cards instead of a system of cords and a draw-boy to form the complex designs.
Weavers experimented to find the softest yarns to rival the texture of the beautiful Kashmiri imports that inspired them.
Designs were also printed onto various fabrics. The paisley design was known here as the Norwich Pine.
When the crinoline fell out of favour in the 1860s, replaced by the bustle, the era of the shawl came to an end.
In his Comprehensive History of Norwich dated1869 A.D. Byrne wrote ‘We regret… that these elegant articles of ladies’ attire have recently gone almost entirely out of fashion’.