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This publication is dedicated to the memory of Bernat KlEIn 1944 - 2014
“ I have divided the autobiographical part of the book into two sections, The Warp & The Weft because to me as a designer of woven cloth, these words carry many meanings. The warp is part of the cloth which, when still in the form of thread, lies longitudinally in the loom; the weft is that which is inserted laterally between the warp threads. Without the Warp there can be no Weft , for woven cloth is built on the warp; until the weft interweaves with the warp there can be no cloth. Everything in cloth depends on the warp and the weft; knowing them one feels that one really understands the cloth and its qualities. But we can also talk symbolically of the warp and the weft of life when we consider the interplay of planning, chance and circumstances in our lives. This book describes part of my own life in these terms since in my professional capacity I have divided my life, thus far, into two parts: the period of training, study and preparation and the period of realisation and action based on my training affected by it at all points. ” Bernat Klien , “Eye of Colour” (Published in 1965)
CONTENTS History of Bernat Klein
PG16-19
Eye for Colour
PG20-27
Relationships
PG28-33
Textiles
PG34-37
Impact on Fashion
PG38-41
B
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BERNAT KLIENS HISTORY
Bernat Klein was born on the 6th of November 1922. Klein was born in a small town located in Serbia called Senta. He grew up in this town all his life, developing a keen interest in colour and exploring this through Art and Paintings. Once Klein reached the age of 18 he moved to Jerusalem and studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts. Klein studied here for several years and moved to Leeds, England to study Textile Technology at the University of Leeds in 1945. Whilst studying here Klein also worked for Munrospun which helped develop his crafts in material/fabric manipulation and an insight into factory life. After completion of his degree, Klein moved to Selrick, Galashiels where he created and founded his own brand “Colourcraft (Gala) Ltd.� This was distributed and sold at his storefront for the company in Edinburgh. Klein sold a variety of Rugs and household items which were always in the style of Bernat Klein. Klein developed his unique style of pointillism in fabrics through being inspired by pointillism painter Seurat. Klein interpreted his work through a unique texturised effect which mimicked pointillism and was always very colourful. Colour is a vital part of Klein's design process. His fabrics/prints focus on a variety of colours merged to create effective and visual pieces. He initially began to fall in love with colours when he started to paint in his spare time in the 1960s. Klein focuses on breaking down nature and using these primary colours in the main source of inspiration for his colour palette. His unique style is what lead him to his breakthrough in 1963 when a mohair tweed design was created (inspired by the colours of roses) was used by Chanel. He continued to create several fabrics and pieces specifically using tweed. He would incorporate ribbons, colour guides, matching wool, knitting patterns and skirt lengths to his designs. Which all were factored into creating the trademark Bernat Klein look. Klein retired from his craft in 1990 and went onto receiving an honorary degree from Heriot-Watt University. He continued to live his life in Selrick at High Sunderland until his unfortunate death on the 17th of April 2014. Klein's work continues to be an inspiration for designers and students.
Bernat Klein is very well known for his studio space as well as his work. His studio, ( located in High Sunderland, Selrick, Scottish Borders ) was Klein's main workspace and this is where he produced work such as designing, weaving and exhibition sample pieces. The workspace is infamous for being Kleins property but it also has a very architectural design and married two distinct contrasts between modern-day aesthetic and the wildlife. The studio had a lot of openness about it. With large open windows that allow light to enter, this helped add to Klein's work process and he would be able to make changes and efficient choices with the ease of the daylight. Klein's inspirations came from all around him through colour and wildlife, working in such an open workspace allowed him to seek inspiration from the forests surrounding the building adding to his work process. The studio was designed by Peter Wormsley, who was a close friend to Klein. The collaborative process behind the design and development of the building is very meaningful and was always a personal subject for Klein. The building also had a reputation just like its owner. The Klein Studio Space won a RIBA award in 1973 for its design and material combination of glass, brick and concrete. Also receiving an award from the Edinburgh Architectural Association Centenary Medal for outstanding design. The building still sits to this day, it, unfortunately, was abandoned and has not been taken care of. People can still see the building but explore at their own risk. As sad as it is for Klein's workspace to have deteriorated, there are still such amazing achievements and pieces that have come from the building during Klein's career.
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Klein's interest in colour theory and the relationships between colour was always something that made his pieces and craftsmanship stand out. His understanding of colour theory and how colours were complimentary to each other are the real reason he was able to push himself forward in the fashion industry. Having a fine art and painting background is really what brings Klein's unique perspective into motion. His technique to use a variety of textures and colours was always uniquely Klein. Through experiments of oil fed paintings into his practical designs, he always managed to portray a very effective and elaborate colour scheme. Staying very true to tones and the colour spectrum is where Klein was able to project his work further into a modern and branded aesthetic. A major influence on his workload was the pointillism painter Seurat. Klein would try to mimic his technique at developing and crafting paintings, afterwards which he would then try to recreate using fabric/materials. He was able to create such designs through a technique known as “space dyeing� -- a process of resist dip-dyeing. This process is what allowed Kleins fabrics to hold fast amounts of colour and he would do so by working closely with Kemp Blair & Co. (Galashiels Dyeing House) to perfect and achieve his vibrantly coloured materials.
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The interesting colour palettes Klein explored in are what makes his pieces so strong and defined. He created a chart of colours which reflected on what is complimentary for the wearer's eye colour. This chart was very innovative and ahead of its time for the fashion and textile industry. It was a large staple on what the Klein brand was about. Klein's colour theory and exploration of such was contextualised in his first publication “Eye for Colour by Bernat Klein�. The book was published in 1965 and was the best source of Klein's process to colour and exploring his textile/material manipulations. It is a very insightful read and defines what Klein wanted to achieve throughout his career. Through his exploration of colour, Klein was able to produce a large array of paintings that evoked the link between his artistic practice and textile designs. The publication explores inspirations to his work and allows readers an insight into the Klein world from a different perspective. Klein has established his craft and created an inspiring image for himself through the use of colour and colour manipulation, and acts as an influence on the fashion industry today.
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Bernat Klein has always had a running theme of relationships in his life story. Relationships and connections are what inspire and impacted Klein's life. His family were very strict and he had a very itinerant childhood. Growing up with Jewish parents Klein was given a lot of tough love and pushed to do the best in his education. His parents were also an influence on his career path as they both worked in the textile industry and were very adamant he would be working in the same field. Klein moved around a lot to study at a variety of different schools all stemming from his parents' wishes, as Klein was very hesitant at living in Scotland and was not convinced he would succeed there.
The relationships between Klein and others is exactly what reflects on his relationship explored through colour. Klein had a very strong workforce and the team behind the creation and craft of his fabrics and garments. This work ethic and communication was a vital part of Klein's life and itĘźs what inevitably lead to his success as a textile designer. Klein was also apparently a very open and kind man to the locals of Selrick. His communication and relationships with the locals are what got him connections in the industry and factories surrounding him. He was able to build trust and develop that as his career continued to succeed.
Klein's relationship with his parents also had a vital impact on his relationship with his daughter in his later years. Shelly Klein is Bernat's eldest daughter who is a successful writer and wrote the publication “The See-Through House - My Father in Full Colour�, which explored and gave Shellys insight into living with Bernat Klein and her fathers work life. Klein was a very focused and serious man. He almost prioritised his work and creativity over his family life. His craft and textile development was his passion and he never gave up of that throughout his full life. Shelly was a rebellious child and her and her father had a complex relationship, however, they still loved one another regardless. Klein's impact on Shelly's relationship is the full source behind her successful publication and it was a fantastic read to learn a bit more about Klein personally and what he was like from a personal perspective.
TEXTILE/PRINT MAKING
Klein's distinctive style and technique to craft his pieces are the most inventive and innovative techniques to do. Being inspired by Pointillism it doesn't particularly have guidelines to follow in creating textiles. His inventive usage of layering multiple textures and weaving them in each other is an impactful and long process to achieve. Klein was very detail orientated with his work and he would take the time to consider every aspect of the fabric as well as its effect on the eye from every angle. Klein used a variety of weaving machinery that was the main source of creation. However, he did a lot of work by hand and had several hand-knitters employed in the surrounding area to assist him with the mass production of products. His signature fabrics specifically were vibrant tweeds and incorporating textures like mohair, ribbon or velvet elevated his designs and made them instantly more distinct and of the Klein brand. With the development of his fabrics, Klein would hand dye the exotic fabrics to create a signature and unique look. Klein was very hands-on and crafty with the entire process of designing, developing and crafting his pieces. This enabled him the hands-on skill and appreciation for the textile craft which made his brand so distinct and successful to the public.
Bernat Klein set a standard for the textile industry during his career. The outstanding level of work produced from his studio was incredible. He is a fantastic textile and garment designer who has made his mark on the fashion industry. His designs were all typically the same silhouette with similar models, however, he showcased them wearing fully conceptualised looks. And he was very detail orientated around the visual aspect of his designs. Klein had a specific vision for the majority of his shoots. He loved having the models and set all the same colour, from a lot of small details like glasses, accessories, furniture etc. Klein would make sure they were all very cohesive and expressive of the colour and emotion of the shoot. He was a very visual artist and the colour stories he visualised were always portrayed in the work he produced. Nature is a very vital role in his inspirations, Klien used a lot of that in his photoshoots which was very refreshing and a breeze of ease in the fashion industry. As Kleins name and reputation began to succeed in the early 1960s he made very big changes which suddenly impacted production and work ethic. He purchased the Netherdale Mill in Galashiels and moved Colourcraft to that location. The staff then increased drastically to over 150 workers in the Mill. As Klein began to develop his brand he partnered with Robert Sinclair Tobacco Company Ltd, and they became a huge shareholder of Colourcraft. It was then renamed “Bernat Klein Ltd” which boosted the firms reach and professionalism of the company. Klein's work became...
... the hot topic for the fashion trends in the ʼ60s. His work was featured in Chanel in 1963ʼs Spring Collection which was a vital point in Klein's career. That year was also Kleins expansion into developing a range of Knitting Yarns and his staple colour co-ordinated suit/skirt fabrics. ʻ63 autumn fashion collections also featured many of Kleins fabrics. Including brands Dior, Balmain, St Laurent and Cardin. After this successful year, Klein was then appointed the role of design consultant for Bond Worth Carpets. He opened a showroom of his work in London and then went onto developing the Eye Colour Chart, which allowed women the chance to select clothing that complimented themselves without the hassles of consultations etc. Klein then set on a new opportunity of creating “Bernat Klein Design Consultants Ltd”. He ran this entirely from his home in Selrick and over the next several years was able to work with several companies in Britain and Scandanavia producing fabrics, rugs and other items. Klein was able to open a further two stores also, one in Edinburgh and the other London. As his success grew so did his achievements. In 1977 he was awarded the design medal by the Textile Institute and became an honorary member of the Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland in 1980. Afterwards receiving an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University whose School of Design and Textiles now study in one of Klein's former mills. The university also has the exclusive archives of Bernat Klein featuring a large array of his original pieces, fabrics and charts. His work also is featured in the Nation Museum of Scotland holding several pieces. Klein has made a huge statement and message with his career and continues to inspire.
Bernat Klein has had a very successful and impactful career and it has been proven given the amount of recognition he has received. Klein's career has carried on onto today's day in age. His textile work has been able to inspire and impact fashion worldwide. Corporate fast fashion retail brands like ASOS, Missguided etc have shown a dramatic increase in tweed and tailored designs in the year 2016 to now. As well as the creative materials and textures being used all have Kleins trademarked look to them. It is a reoccurring style and fashionable look which makes it even more relevant to discuss Klein's impact on the industry. As we look at a world focused on fast fashion and the current global pandemic we can look back through history and continue to be inspired by people like Bernat Klein. He is a symbol of hope and inspiration for the future of fashion, which as a cycle will not end. It will continue to grow and we will celebrate the achievements of our predecessors. Bernat Klein's legacy lives on.
B.K
1922 - 2014
Kyle mCAULEY
BK SOPHIE CORBETT