Design and the formation of taste in the British printed calico industry, 1919 to 1940

摘要

This thesis examines the process and structures of the formation of taste andudactivation of fashion change within the British printed calico industry, from 1919-ud1940. The approach taken was to analyse the style trends, economic conditions andudstrategic policy of a number of case study companies. These case studies areudcontextualised by analysis of the broad structural and economic conditions in theudindustry, the interventions of Government and the contemporary ideologicaludconstruction of pattern design.udThe thesis tests several historiographic views relevant to the structural analysis ofudtaste formation. The assertion by the Balfour Committee in 1928 that the industry wasuddivided into separate market and design style sections is investigated. A commonlyudheld view that British interwar design was reactionary and regressive, and the generaludassumption that Modernism came to Britain in the 1930s as a Continental influence, isudchallenged. Definitions and perceptions of Modernism are closely examined. A rangeudof contradictory claims regarding the sources of design innovation and fashionudleadership in the industry are assessed. In addition, claims that the British interwarudcotton industry was not innovative in its response to economic conditions and theoriesudof a link between macroeconomic conditions and innovation are considered.udIn relation to the formation of taste, the thesis concludes that there was a separation inudthe fields of taste construction for furnishing and dress fabric, with different sourcesudof design production, markets and design styles, although textile production for bothudsections could occur within the same company. In the case studies analysed, the mainudsource of innovation and taste construction in printed textile design appears to haveudbeen company design studios, rather than freelance artists, architects, designers orudParisian design studios. The influence of the economic context was evident in theudimpact of specific cost rises, alteration of print processes used and changing marketuddemand due to macroeconomic conditions and international competition. A switch inudthe basis of mass market demand from durability to fashion in textiles and clothingudduring the interwar period promoted a production structure of short production runs,udsmall orders and a wide design range. A relevant factor in the construction of tasteudWas the Modernist educational aims of the British Government during the interwarudperiod, particularly in the impact on general and designer education. It switched to audpolicy of promoting exhibitions of innovative Modernist design as a basis for creatinguddemand in the 1930s, from a strategy that emphasised vertical integration of theudtextile industry to increase efficiency. The British printed textiles industry wasudinnovative in its response to severe economic conditions, in terms of design, productuddevelopment and the strategies of national printed textile industry organisations. Audsignificant finding is the active role of the British printed textiles industry in initiatinguddebate, producing exhibitions and developing designs that by 1919 had established audModernist approach and visual language of decorative design. This version ofudModernism was related to art-based concepts of form and expression, while alsoudconsidering the design criteria of fitness to function. Dress fabric design - not hithertoudseen as significant in the historiography of Modernism - was shown to have beenudstrongly Modernist in emphasis in the case study companies examined. Modernism inudpattern design appears to have been popular during the interwar period, rather than -udas generally assumed - restricted to a small group of consumers with highly educatedudaesthetic tastes. These conclusions arise from and are substantiated by extensiveudempirical investigation of the design style and business history of case-studyudcompanies, supported by structural analysis of the industry.