Ford Of Britain 100: Image Of The Week - 30/52

BRENTWOOD, UNITED KINGDOM – July 28, 2011: To celebrate the centenary of Ford of Britain in 2011 the company is exploring its photo archive to reveal rarely seen images.

Ford's unique relationship with Britain and its society will be illustrated each week by specially selected pictures.

Style is timeless and when you are responsible for dressing royalty you have to know about style.

In this week's image, designer for HRH Queen Elizabeth, Hardy Amies used a backdrop of Ford cars to launch his 1973 collection. Mass produced cars may seem a world away from couture clothing but both rely on a high level of style and elegance to make an impact at first sight.

The 1970s marked a key period in design for Ford cars, with the box-type Zephyr Mk lV and Cortina Mkll, giving way to the curves of the Cortina Mklll and Consul Granada, a fact appreciated by Amies when looking for the perfect complement to his chic outfits.

Forty years later, acclaimed fashion designer, Bruce Oldfield, took the Ford fashion connection a step further. In support of Barnardo's, the charity that helped raise him, Oldfield worked with Ford to create a dress made from Ford Streetka parts.

The dress featured 85 Ford Streetka components, including a corset made of fibreglass and skirt made from grille mesh. Valued at £15,000, the dress was auctioned for the UK's leading children's charity during the 2004 London Fashion Week.