My father, Alfred Radley, who has died aged 94, has been described as the patron saint of British fashion, for he nurtured and developed some of the most famous names in British design, from Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell to Terence Nolder and Betty Jackson.

By 1965, Radley, the fashion house Alfred founded in the postwar years, had its own fabric mills as well as factories producing garments, gloves and handbags for stores ranging from Harrods to Marks & Spencer in the UK and Neiman Marcus in the US.

In 1968 the company acquired a small boutique in the King’s Road called Quorum, along with its designers Clark, Birtwell and Alice Pollock. Radley also promoted the careers of many others including Sheilagh Brown, Sheridan Barnett, Wendy Dagworthy and Rosemary Bradford, and is credited with the idea of bringing high-end couture to the high street at affordable prices.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Radley sold garments made by other manufacturers until the firm had enough money to set up its own workshop

Born in the East End of London, he was the youngest of seven children of Rose (nee Yorkovitch), a seamstress, and David Radberg, a tailor, both immigrants from eastern Europe. Alfred’s father died when he was 18 months old, leaving Rose destitute, and as a result Alfred and two of his brothers were partly brought up in the Jewish orphanage in Norwood, south London.

During the second world war Al served in the merchant navy, and two of his ships were hit by enemy fire. He saw action on the North Atlantic convoys and on D-day, and he was on the first allied ship to dock in France. In addition, he also served in east Asia and witnessed Japan’s surrender on the USS Missouri. At the end of the war he was assigned to ships bringing death camp survivors back home, and on one trip he met and befriended Otto Frank (father of Anne) on his return from Auschwitz via Odessa to Marseille.

Alfred’s eldest sister, Miriam, had established a dress-making business and after demob he worked for her, learning how to cut fabric and other aspects of the business. In 1947 he married June Lester, whom he had met a tea dance in Piccadilly. They set up home in north London, and went on to have three children.

He founded his own company, Radley (having anglicised his family surname), in the early 1950s, selling garments made by other manufacturers until he had enough money to set up the workshop that was to develop into one of the most influential fashion houses of swinging 60s London.

In his retirement he continued to promote young designers. For many years he badgered the V&A to mount a retrospective of the work of Clark, and in 2003 they agreed. Al provided many of the garments that were on display from his personal collection and the centrepiece was my sister Diane’s wedding dress.

June died in 1994. Al is survived by my sisters, Diane and Karen, and me.