Singer’s embroidery department as an enterprise of beauty

Résumé 0

The role of businesses and organizations in shaping aesthetic trends and consumer preferences extends beyond the beauty industry. The history of Singer Sewing Machine’s predominantly female-staffed business unit, the Art Department, highlights the crucial role consumers and markets often play in product design. The Art Department emerged in the 1870s, during the early years of the development of the multinational firm, and was responsible for developing marketing strategies to encourage individuals and households to purchase sewing machines. The employees of this global department were mostly female and they created designs, developed new products and provided instructions on how to use sewing machines to create embroidery for home decoration and clothing ornamentation. In doing so, Singer representatives, many of whom were not directly employed by Singer, bridged the gap between art, industry, and domesticity and positioned the multinational company as a key player in cultural and aesthetic definitions of beauty and ornamentation. While becoming more global, such definitions remained strongly influenced by local preferences.In highlighting how beauty is “managed”, business historians have tended to focus on the cosmetics industry and much remains to be understood about such dynamics in other sectors. For this reason, this article explores the role of business and its actors in shaping aesthetic preferences in less visible domains, such as the decoration of the home and clothes. The early marketing strategies of the Singer Sewing Machine Company were not limited to emphasizing the functional and economic aspects of their sewing machines. For over seven decades, the company addressed its consumers’ aesthetic sensibilities and cultural expectations. The article begins with the history of the company’s Art Department and discusses the sources that are available for studying it. It then uses examples from across the world to analyse the main strategies that Singer personnel designed and created. In conclusion, the article reflects on the management of beauty and how some overlooked aspects of everyday life can play an important role in the dynamics of a global business.