| Industry | Crafts, including knitting and tapestry |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Key people | Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading; Beatrice Bellini |
Women's Home Industries was a company founded in 1947 in London to earn export revenue for the UK in the post-war period by harnessing women's craft skills, such as knitting and needlework.
Originally seen as part of the effort to rebuild the economy – and a way to give women practical work they could do from home – between the 1950s and 1970s its reputation as a retailer and supplier of hand-made knits and traditional crafts grew, with exports to match. It appeared in media such as The Times and Vogue, while designer-makers such as Beatrice Bellini became known names in their own right. Kaffe Fassett was among those who supplied crafts for sale in its shops and he also collaborated on clothing with Bellini.