So it's the last gloomy day of January and I find myself wanting to be transported to sometime in June when the resolutions have hopefully made an impact and the sun is shining. Fortunately a recent visit to the Fashion and Textile Museum provided a welcome distraction, with its bright orange exterior and latest exhibition delving into the pairing of textiles and art. We can all name a few famous pieces from Picasso, Dali and Andy Warhol but what I hadn't realised was the massive impact they also had on 20th Century textile design. I've always wondered about some of the vintage prints I come across (this skirt of mine is an example) and I'm particularly fond of those boasting random everyday scenes. After listening to the curators talk, I realised these sorts of things are actually interpretations of 'Toile de Jouy' fabric and a result of many artists wanting their work to seem less elitist and be appreciated by ordinary people. It's pretty much accepted that designers now keep looking to the past for inspiration, but this has always happened and I find it so interesting to learn about what these earlier artists such as Raoul Dufy and Sonia Delauney were reinventing. You'll also discover some highly influential but unsung designers as you walk through the exhibition (Claire McCardell introduced denim and jersey as options in the 30s) and take a trip through the decades with a delightful array of surreal yet playful prints.
The Fashion And Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF
After seeing Inside Llewyn Davis last week and visiting the Pop Art Design exhibition at the Barbican, I've had the 1960s on the brain and this section of the gallery didn't disappoint. In terms of textiles, instead of the designer/brand collaborations we're used to now, it was artists deciding to branch out and sell to the masses. Picasso worked with skiwear manufacturer White Stag to produce a collection and his designs adorned anything from ponchos to PVC, though upholstery was out of the question (he didn't want his works to be sat on). The upstairs corner was probably my favourite part, with some of Andy Warhol's lesser-known textile designs featuring fruits and ice-cream, which lent themselves well to full skirts and dresses.
The exhibition opens today, so if you need cheering up this weekend, go and take a look! It's perfect timing what with the whole Art Attack SS14 trend that's starting to filter down, plus designers who regularly collaborate with artists (I've just managed to find one of the Antipodium x Craig & Karl dresses at a bargain price). I'm hoping to see some watermelons and buttons on things very soon.