Victor Stiebel was born in South Africa in 1907. He moved to England in 1924 and studied architecture at Cambridge. He had been involved with costume design for the 'Footlights' revue and on leaving Cambridge he decided to become a dress designer. He trained at the House of Reville and opened his own business in Bruton Street in 1932. He designed clothes for several members of the royal family including Princess Margaret's going-away outfit for her wedding to Lord Snowden. Stiebel closed his doors in 1963 due to ill health. He is perhaps best remembered for his evening wear and use of jersey and striped fabrics. A letter to Miss Stiebel (Victor's sister) from Annette Wilcox at B. Altman & Co. following the extremely successful shows at the Waldorf Hotel in November 1934, refers to Stiebel's 'extreme modesty and scepticism of all praise'.
The photographs contained in this collection display a wide variety of designs by Victor Stiebel in the period leading up to the second World War. Several of the images appeared as advertisements in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and include models such as Lee Miller, Margaret Duchess of Argyle, Audrey Simpson and Caroline Westmacott. Other photographers not mentioned above include Paul Tanqueray, J. Gutmann, and Janet Jevons.