Textiles for the Eighties

Fabrics are an integral part of our environment. Some of them have the capacity to give us an aesthetic experience that is beyond the appeal of fashions. Textiles for the Eighties emphasizes this aspect of fabric design. The ultimate focus is, however, on the designer as shaper of our everyday surroundings.

Four categories of fabrics have been included: those produced, often in large quantities, by big companies; hand manufactured fabrics by smaller companies; industrial fabrics; and a group of fabrics and samples that are experimental in nature. They represent the most imaginative use of technique and material and are not necessarily in production. The collection ranges from furnishing fabrics (upholstery and casement) to industrial fabrics used in the space industry.

Part of the intent of the exhibition is to examine the American market; attention has been paid to diveristy and variety in type and price range. Most of the fabrics were designed and produced by American professionals. Most of them, excluding some in the experimental group, are available on the American market.

This exhibition does not attempt to represent a complete picture of textiles in the 1980s, but favors the innovative and exceptional. The quality of the designer's expression, coupled with understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and the function of the product guided the selection process.