Issue 36 2023 - Journal - Page 81
the relationship between his work, the landscape and the local
textile industry.”
his mohair tweed fabrics for her spring/summer 1963
collection.
His couture cloths quickly came to dominate international catwalks throughout the 1960s, with designers such
as Balenciaga, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and
Hardy Amies all featuring his work. The company established offices in London and Paris and sold fabrics to the
American womenswear market. Klein also designed
ready-to-wear fashion and textiles for home dressmakers.
He had a lifelong passion for colour and worked as
a colour consultant and industrial designer for various
national and international firms. In 1966 he set up a
design consultancy company, collaborating with progressive interior firms in Britain and Scandinavia. He was an
accomplished painter and found inspiration in the landscape surrounding his Borders home, High Sunderland.
Klein commissioned the architect Peter Womersley to
design the building, which is recognised today as one of
Scotland’s finest modernist homes.
Lisa Mason, Assistant Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland 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
Above, Bernat Klein at High Sunderland in the Scottish Borders,
1963 - 1964. © Bernat Klein Behr Photography; Image © National
Museums Scotland.
Below, Sample of fashion fabric entitled Maple, Bernat Klein, 1961.
Image © National Museums Scotland.
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