Virginia Wetherell

Virginia Wetherell (born 9 May 1943), also known as Virginia Bates, is an English actress and vintage clothing expert. As an actress she is known for her roles in Hammer horror films. She has acted in films and television programmes from the 1960s to the 1990s; her peak period as an actress was the '60s and early '70s. From 1971 onwards she had a career owning and running a successful vintage clothing store, Virginia, in Holland Park in London. She has been described as 'the doyenne of London fashion' by The Times.

Acting career

Wetherell's film appearances include The Big Switch (1968), Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), Sleep Is Lovely (1968), Man of Violence (1969), Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) and Demons of the Mind (1972), Disciple of Death (1972) and the TV film Dracula (1974).

On television, she was a regular cast member in The Troubleshooters as Julie Serres, and played Dyoni in the Doctor Who serial The Daleks.

Vintage fashion career

Wetherell ran a vintage clothing shop, Virginia, at 98 Portland Road in Holland Park for 42 years, from 1971 to 2013. Her shop attracted customers from the fashion, film and theatrical industries: visitors to the shop and customers included singers Barbra Streisand and Madonna, actors such as Nicole Kidman, models such as Helena Christensen, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Susie Cave, and fashion designers such as John Galliano, Donatella Versace, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren and Alberta Ferretti, who took inspiration from her vintage clothes. Virginia was also a source of rare vintage clothing for museum curators.

Wetherell was named the "54th most important person in fashion" in an early 2000s industry poll, placed above such names as Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Ozwald Boateng. She has been described as 'the doyenne of London fashion' by The Times.

Wetherell was interviewed, as Virginia Bates, about the shop and vintage clothing in ITV4's television presentation of the 2024 Goodwood Revival, broadcast on 18 September 2024.

Fashion writing

As Virginia Bates, Wetherell wrote a fashion blog for British Vogue. In 2012 she co-authored a book on 1920's fashion with her daughter Daisy Bates: Jazz Age Fashion: Dressed to Kill.

Personal life

Wetherell was married to actor Ralph Bates from 1973 until his death from pancreatic cancer in 1991. They had two children, Daisy and Will. Wetherell is a trustee of the Ralph Bates Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.

In December 2018 Wetherell was attacked in Paris during the riots.

Filmography

Film

Television

External links

• at IMDb