Martin Pallant b. Richmond-on-Thames

Jean Hodge b. Kingston-on-Thames

Students at Kingston School of Art 1961-1963

Married 1964

Royal College of Art (Martin) 1964-1965

Designer Jaeger (Jean) 1965

Lecturer Kingston School of Art (Jean) 1965-1968

1968 - Jean and Martin Pallant Partnership began designing and producing (on the kitchen table) made to measure clothes for well heeled young women who wanted clothes that reflected their social and economic status.

1971- Jean & Martin Pallant Ltd produced first collection for ready to wear selling to Fortnum & Mason and various prestigious boutiques in London.

1973 - Chosen as ones of the UK’s up and coming new designers to represent Britain in a significant Fashion Show to celebrate Britain’s entry into the Common Market televised on BBC1 (The Times January 9 1973 refers), thereby positioning them in the top eschelon of European and British designers of the day, including Dior, Hartnell, St Laurent and Bill Gibb.

A limited amount of press coverage brought the Pallant name to the attention of overseas buyers and their reputation for producing some of the most exciting, unique and exquisitely made clothes of the cultural revolution years in Britain, gained recognition worldwide, including from Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman in New York, Neiman Marcus in Dallas and an array of standalone boutiques throughout US, Canada, Middle East, Europe and Australia.

The Pallant business expanded organically to accommodate this new interest and began increasing its highly skilled labour force.

In 1980 the Pallant team moved into the Ferry Works building in Thames Ditton, Surrey. The manufacturing unit once home to the construction of the iconic AC car and began a further programme of expansion.

In 1988 the Pallants opened their first shop in London in the Pantechnicon building in Belgravia, a perfect showcase for the entire wardrobe collection of Jean and Martin Pallant.

Their client list was a Who’s Who of distinguished ladies from Royalty, British Aristocracy, Captains of Industry and stars of stage and screen.

In 1998 a Diffusion collection was born aimed at young Pallant enthusiasts and housed in a second Pallant shop in Sloane Street, London.

The Pallant ethos was the antithesis of the fast fashion industry that has become one of the most damaging features of the 20th & 21st Centuries. Each individual piece of clothing was made through by one specialist from start to finish.

The patterns were cut with exceptional precision. The Pallant’s understanding of the human form in all its variations was second to none.

Owners of Pallant clothes preserve them. They are timeless classics in the true sense of the word and still wearable today, regardless of the era in which they were made.