Dressed for Business: The Gloria Levin Collection of Hardy Amies Couture

This exhibition presents the couture wardrobe of Gloria Levin, one of the UK's most influential businesswomen, dressed throughout her career by British designer Hardy Amies. Featuring exquisitely tailored suits and extravagant gowns — from streamlined 1960s silhouettes to flamboyant 1980s ballgowns — the pieces chart four decades of British fashion, reflecting Levin's commanding presence in the boardroom, where by the 1970s she held more directorships than any other woman in Britain. Donated to Southend Museums in 2022, the collection goes on public display for the first time.