Lucienne Day-The Orange Lookbook

Apollo, (detail), late 1950s. Lucienne Day. Manufactured by Heal Fabrics. At the Textile Museum, Washington, D.C  Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III Collection of British Textiles. Courtesy the Textile Museum.

I was thinking about Pantone's color of the year Tangerine Tango and decided I wanted to feature fabric designs by Lucienne Day using orange tones.  I am
just a bit enthusiastic about Day's fabric designs.

Trio-not sure of the date

Foreshore, 1952-this probably leans a bit towards the red orange, but I decided to put it in anyway.

"Springboard furnishing fabric, for Heal's. Screen-printed linen. UK, 1954. "

My first article on Lucienne Day--I hope a decent introduction to her work--can be read here.


A small video clip featuring a recorded conversation with Lucienne Day by Wallpaper magazine can be watched here.

Helix - Manufactured by Thomas Somerset, 1970.

Lucienne Day's "Calyx"-A Ground Breaking Classic

Calyx, 1951

Lucienne Day rocked the design world in 1951.  She debuted her fabric design Calyx at the Festival of Britain.  This pattern was designed for a room that her husband, Robin Day, had created for the festival. Her ability to mix eye popping color contrasts with organic abstract shapes was a dose of good cheer that post-war Britain needed.

Calyx was the beginning of a career that would  expand into different types of textiles, working with numerous companies and winning many awards.

Designers are always telling us that they can get their ideas from the smallest things.  As an art teacher, I told my students to open their eyes up and really look at the world because a designer and artist will never know where the next inspiration lies. 

Starting from the top left: Joan Miro, Saul Steinberg, Wassily Kandinsky, Naum Gabo, and Paul Klee-possible influences for a young designer in the early 50s

 

Lucienne Day was no different.  That she looked to nature is obvious.  However, during her formative years, several wonderful artists experimented  in abstraction and color.  Some of these were Klee, Miró, Kandinsky, Gabo, and Calder.  I think these artists and their styles influenced Day. 

Lucienne Day had a great fifty years in design.  She  was a trail blazer in a world at that time dominated by men. This is the first of a few articles I want to write about her.  

Portrait of Lucienne Day