The VFG believes that informed selling and buying communities are good for the vintage-fashion industry as a whole, and all visitors to the website have access to the VFG resources. These are continually updated and constantly evolving, thanks to a dedicated volunteer staff.
Our blog features our picks of the freshest vintage items, member news and articles. We have also created a growing series of articles on some classic designers.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of vintage fashion.
The Vintage Fashion Guild™ (VFG) is an international community of people with expertise in vintage fashion. VFG members enjoy a wealth of resources, avenues for promoting their shops and specialties, and camaraderie with others who share a common interest and passion.
Richard Nott (b.1947) and Graham Fraser (b.1948) formed the design company Workers For Freedom in 1985. Richard had previously been assistant designer to Valentino in Rome and later Principal Lecturer at Kingston University and Graham a fashion buyer and fashion director at Liberty of London. They decided to create a designer label together.
The name was chosen because Richard and Graham were both working for large organisations and wanted to break away from the constraints that brings and to work for themselves with “Freedom”. Workers for Freedom was primarily known for its quality and its unique use of embroideries on both women’s and men’s clothing, initially using cotton, silk and wool in a neutral palette of white, black, indigo and brown.
The label sold internationally and in 1989 was awarded the British Fashion Council’s accolade of Designer of the Year presented by Princess Diana at the Albert Hall. After fourteen years Nott and Fraser decided to sell the company to their Chinese manufacturers. The label continues today mainly in the USA producing a completely different kind of apparel.
Provided by Graham Fraser
Courtesy of bigchief173
From a 1986/1987 silk shirt