Notebook

摘要

Bernat Klein, a textile designer from Serbia who settled in Scotland after the Second World War, died in May, aged 91. His obsession with colour defined his life and work and put Scottish textiles on the international catwalk. Klein studied textile technology at Leeds University and, after graduation, designed woven fabrics for ties and handkerchiefs before moving on to work for Munrospun, where he created fabrics for ladies' skirts and coats. Three years after graduating he started his own company, Colourcraft, and produced furnishing fabrics and rugs, but was only successful after he engaged an agent in London who secured large orders for lambswool scarves for Marks & Spencer, Littlewoods, Woolworth's and British Home Stores. Klein used many local mills to increase his production and diversified into colour woven fabrics. He was greatly impressed by Georges Seurat's pointillist work, and designed cloth that would shimmer in the same way as the paintings had. He said that the eye could either add them all up together and so enjoy the fun of their varied subtlety or see them merging into a cloud of tints and softness.