HIGH QUALITY WORKWEAR
Alexandra was established in 1854 as a drapers shop in Whiteladies Road , Bristol , and was named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark , the future wife of King Edward VII .
Initially selling the fabric needed to make uniforms for the Voluntary Aid Detachments ( VADs ) who nursed injured soldiers , Alexandra has played a vital role in the emergence of women in the workforce since World War 1 .
After the war , demand for workwear continued to expand , and Alexandra went on to develop protective women ’ s and men ’ s workwear for assorted industries including munitions , agriculture , engineering , catering , business , leisure services and wider and more professionalised nursing roles .
Through its various forms and with the establishment of manufacturing and distribution facilities in Bristol , Scotland and other countries worldwide , Alexandra has become a primary catalogue workwear solutions provider .
David Harmer , Head of Category management at Alexandra explains :
“ Our workwear range really started to develop in the 1940s and 1950s , although we have a strong heritage in the health industry . Our ability to supply a multitude of industries and more recently , sectors such as Facilities Management ( FM ), has led to Alexandra being the largest single provider of workwear , corporate uniforms and nursing wear in the UK .
“ We ’ ve been trading for over 160 years and this longevity demonstrates that Alexandra is still significant to all business types throughout the UK , Europe and rest of the world .
160 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
On February 8 , Alexandra celebrated over 160 years of history at the M Shed , a local museum on Bristol ’ s iconic waterfront . The event celebrated the publication of a book about Alexandra ’ s 160-year history , produced in association with Bristol Museums , Galleries and Archives .
Over 85 invited guests were treated to a unique film created with help from the Pathé news organisation , charting the important social and historic milestones that helped establish Alexandra as a leading workwear company .
The film was followed by a catwalk show , featuring recreated historic garments and a live panel forum on the future of workwear in the modern workplace .
The catwalk show included 12 re-created uniforms dating back to the early 1900s , covering both male and female garments from nursing to business and industry , complete with period hair and makeup .
“ We set up the heritage catwalk show to highlight a number of key styles , from our early years such as the Florence Nightingale-esque uniforms , all the way through to the Hospitality and FM type products we offer today .”
“ Although the event was specifically targeted at key customers and strategic supply partners , staff both past and present were invited to attend �.
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