House of Elliot
Remember the deliciously different and sometimes quite daring 1920's clothes in this popular TV series? Left penniless, Beatrice and Evangeline Elliott (Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard) embark on a dressmaking business. Their talent for designing and making glamorous high-fashion leads to success for The House of Elliott.
When the philandering Elliott dies penniless there is no inheritance for his daughters Beatrice and Evangeline to survive on. Forced to go into business their London dressmaking enterprise grows into a industrial force to be reckoned with.
The House of Elliot was devised by Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh, who had previously come up with the brief for Upstairs, Downstairs. The series had all the hallmarks of classic costume drama - class struggle, posh frocks and a bit of history - but what made The House of Elliot different was that it moved along at a cracking pace and was scripted like a soap opera. Not surprisingly, it was an instant hit and consistently attracted audiences of over 10 million.
Bea and Evie's (Stella Gonet and Louise Lombard) father dies and they discover that not only has he left them without a penny, he has sired an illegitimate son! Evie befriends Penelope, a women's rights campaigner and general do-gooder, who helps Bea land a job as a personal assistant to her brother Jack, a society photographer. He's a bit of a bounder but a generally a good egg.
Soon the sisters' home-made outfits are attracting attention and their dream of founding the House of Elliot becomes a reality. Oh there's trouble on the way, but our plucky gals win through in the end.
This article reproduced with the kind permission of the BBC London.
