Bender, Lee

Lee Bender and her husband Cecil opened Bus Stop in 1968 as a retail outlet for her manufacturing business. According to Bender, “We chose the name ‘Bus Stop’ because it was so identifiably British; and red because it was the colour of telephone kiosks, pillar boxes, and London buses.” In 1969 they located next to Biba.

Bus Stop eventually became a chain of twelve stores, located throughout Great Britain. This chain was bought by “French Connection” in 1979. Lee and Cecil Bender started a new boutique in London called Arcade in 1982.

It is thought that this Lee Bender label was used concurrently with the Bus Stop label, and that this label was also sold at the Bus Stop stores.

See Also: Bus Stop

Written by emmapeelpants

from a 1970s dress

Courtesy of tastyvintage.com

from a 1980s skirt

Courtesy of emmapeelpants