|  | | Edited by Poppy Richard. Illustrated by Pierre Simon.
London. International Wool Secretariat. n.d. [c.1951]. Pink paper-covered boards, with a sheep-motif to front board and to end-papers. 30 pages. Frontispiece, full-page plate and 19 text illustrations by Pierre Simon, all in colour. 7 photographic portraits of French couturiers. 185 x 120mm (7¼ x 4¾"). .1kg. . English. Very good; light surface wear to boards, spine slightly faded with a closed tear to paper along the top of the outer hinge, gutter splitting at pp. 16/17, no inscriptions.
'Paris says Wool' was a campaign championed by the International Wool Secretariat at the beginning of the 1950s. The aim was to promote the use of wool as the most fashionable material for the English woman's wardrobe. The Second World War had not only reduced access to expensive fabrics like silk but had also seen the creation of synthetic fabrics such as polyester and acrylic. Wool needed a push and who better to persuade the fashionable ladies of the UK than the French couturiers. Raymond Barbas, Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior, Jacques Fath, Jacques Griffe, Marcel Rochas and Elsa Schiaparelli all contribute a short piece on how and why they use wool. There are chapters on how to use wool for evening-wear, day-wear and accessories. The book is charmingly illustrated with drawings by the fashion illustrator Pierre Simon. The campaign also featured a fashion show, held at the Savoy Hotel, in which the leading French designers showed 3 items of wool couture each. 'The truth is, this is the Wool Period.'
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