Vintage Kennett and Lindsell Mannequin Recovered

Kennett and Lindsell mannequins are the work horses of the tailoring industry. This one was a good quality mannequin, having the push in shoulder feature and had clearly had a lot of use in her time. The fabric was beyond rescue and one of the shoulders was ‘dislocated’. The customer had been looking for a Kennett and Lindsell mannequin for a long time and saw this lady locally. She got in touch to see if it would be possible to recover her … and of course it was!

The decision was then, which fabric to choose? This striking Laura Ashley fabric ‘Josette’ was a perfect choice. I removed all the fabric and wadding underneath and also the shoulder caps. I made a new pattern, exactly like the original tailoring. I then covered the torso in new wadding, allowing the mannequin to be able to be pinned into and so to be used for its original intention of dressmaking. Once the new cover had been tailored and fitted, the shoulder caps were put back on and she was as good as new again!

The customer was very happy and in our increasingly ‘throw away’ culture, this lady, instead of ending up on the tip, has years of life ahead of her again.