Madame Yvonne 1920s ladies tailoring

[silicondale]

My grandfather Albert Henry Henley was a tailor (at least third generation), self-employed in 1911. After serving in Belgium for all of WW1 (ending the war as a 2nd Lieutenant) he is listed in the 1921 census as a tailoring factory manager at 147 Wardour street, London, working for "Yvonne" of 21 Piccadilly Arcade. We know that he was a ladies tailor, so this seems to be consistent with Yvonne of 8 Motcombe Street http://www.jazzageclub.com/the-london-couture-house-of-yvonne/5473/ but I haven't been able to find out much more about the firm. He used to tell us that he once made a coat for Queen Mary - but never gave any of the context or even a date. I presume that 147 Wardour Street was the address of the factory, while 21 Piccadilly Arcade was the shop. Would welcome any information on the firm of "Madame Yvonne" - even beter if there's something about Albert Henley, her factory manager!

[AllanUK]

One of many articles in the BNA (snippet image courtesy of British Newspaper Archive)

[silicondale]

Many thanks for this - yes, BNA is worth checking out! I may at least get confirmation of the firm's trading addresses, though not hopeful that it will provide much 'inside' information.

....
Have just done some BNA searches. Motcombe Street I knew already, and also found Kensington (Mme Yvonne has a Kelly's directory entry in Kensington too). But none in Piccadilly Arcade. Maybe at that address the firm didn't even need to advertise!

[ShaunJ]

Looking in my 1921 London Directory, Yvonne Ltd, Ladies' Tailors is indeed listed at 21 Piccadilly Arcade. And looking in The Gazette online, Yvonne (Piccadilly) Limited of that address was the subject of winding up proceedings in 1923.

Are you sure it is 147 Wardour Street, not 141 or 149? These are the 140s odd numbers: 

[silicondale]

Many thanks for the address confirmation - at least 21 Piccadilly Arcade. Here is the line from the census page - but the Wardour street number seems definitely to be 147. Odd. In both senses. And strange, the number of times I have walked along Wardour Street, and never knew my grandfather once worked there.