DESIGNS FOR FABRICS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28951, 20 July 1959, Page 2

DESIGNS FOR FABRICS

Exhibition In London Princess Margaret recently visited an exhibition in London where materials designed by three famous artists were on disI’ay. Cecil Beaton, Oliver Messel and Graham Sutherland all accepted an invitation from a well-known silk mill to design fashion fabrics with floral themes. From their highly-individual paintings, exciting new designs have been created. v Cecil Beaton, who is wellknown for his stage designs for “My Fair Lady” and “Gigi,” produced delicate patterns of fuchsia branches and Chinese anemones in soft pastel shades. Oliver Messel, a prominent theatre designer, contrasted a gaily-coloured tulip design against a muted, twilight background.

Graham Sutherland, whose portraits and abstract paintings have achieved international renown and who recently had a great personal success when he ventured into headscarf design at the invitation of Hardy Amies, the Queen's dressmaker, showed fabrics with abstract patterns of flowers, petals and leaves. Materials displayed at the exhibition included damasks, chiffons, printed taffetas, printed silks and satins and velvet.

Later in the year the exhibition is expected to go to New York.