The Associated American Artists: Wearable Art exhibit on view at The Henry Ford / THF810596

"To textile designs these artists bring a completely new and fresh approach, a fine arts feeling and the inherent qualities of the easel painter's genius.” — American Fabrics (Summer 1952)

From 1952 to 1957, the Associated American Artists — an enterprise employing a roster of known artists — collaborated with textile manufacturer M. Lowenstein & Sons to create "fine art by the yard," marketing it as "Signature Fabrics." Each textile design was titled and "signed" by the artist, just like studio art.

Signature Fabrics reflected the aesthetic diversity of the studio printmakers and textile designers who created them. The colorful designs ranged from playful to abstract. More than fifty designers, manufacturers, and pattern companies created clothing for men, women, and children using these fabrics.

Advertisement for College Town skirts made from Signature Fabrics designed by Associated American Artists Hans Moller and Lamartine LeGoullon, 1955. / THF734515

Advertisement for a Jerry Gilden dress made from Signature Fabrics designed by Laura Jean Allen, 1955. / THF734528

The artists represented in this exhibit:

Laura Jean Allen (1916-2003)
Laura Jean Allen, one of Associated American Artists' most prolific textile designers, studied at the Pennsylvania Museum School. Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Seventeen, and Vogue and Simplicity pattern books featured her textile designs. Allen's artwork appeared on Christmas cards and magazine covers (including The New Yorker). She also wrote and illustrated children's books.

Lamartine Le Goullon (1917-1998)
Known for his mid-twentieth century watercolors of the San Francisco Bay area, Lamartine Le Goullon left California to join the New York art scene from 1953-1957. Le Goullon created illustrations for the 1956 book, The Heart of Jazz. Sportswear company Catalina used Le Goullon's Associated American Artist Sudan and Eygptienne fabrics for its resort and swimwear lines.

Hans Moller (1905-2000)
Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin, Hans Moller fled Nazi Germany for New York City in 1936. He painted in a variety of modern styles but was primarily a colorist — using color to communicate emotions instead of depicting a scene realistically. Moller's designs for Associated American Artists? Abstract and colorful.

Albert John Pucci (1920-2005)
Albert John Pucci's prolific output was expressed in a variety of artistic styles and media. His paintings ranged from landscapes — frequently depicting Italy, New York City, and coastal Maine — to portraiture. Pucci designed book covers, book and magazine illustrations, and greeting cards. For Associated American Artists he designed textiles and greeting cards.

See if you can spot the influence of each artist's background on their fabric designs.