Major national exhibition to mark famous textile designer’s centenary
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh will explore the life and career of Bernat Klein, the Serbian-born textile designer who died in 2014.
Design in Colour will go on display in November and will demonstrate how his celebrated tweeds and mohairs were inspired by his beloved Borders landscape.
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Hide AdThe displays of garments, textiles and paintings will be drawn from the vast archive of Klein material the museum acquired in 2010 – four years before his death at the age of 91.
It will explore how Klein, a champion of modernist architecture and design, designed fabrics for fashion and interiors, working as a consultant and industrial designer for various British and Scandinavian firms.
Klein set up his own firm, Colourcraft, and went on to buy Netherdale Mill in Galashiels and the Gibson and Lumgair Mill in Selkirk.
His fabrics became so popular in the 1960s that such iconic design houses as Chanel and Dior utilised them.
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Hide AdKlein is also remembered for commissioning a glass house built by young architect Peter Womersley. Iconic High Sunderland, between Peebles and Selkirk, remained his home until his death.
Lisa Mason, assistant curator of modern and contemporary design at the national museum, said: “Bernat Klein was a key figure in Modernist design, and one of the 20th century’s most celebrated textile designers.
“His archive is remarkably broad and rich, and this stylish exhibition will display some of its highlights, examining his exceptional contribution to the design world and his ongoing legacy and influence.
“The Scottish Borders were his home and inspiration for six decades, and the exhibition will also explore the story of the relationship between his work, the landscape, and the local textile industry.”