Ashley Gray took members and guests of the Arts Society Wokingham from Yorkshire to London via Cornwall and Welwyn Garden City, tracing the development of the modern textile industry.
His illustrated talk featured Alec Walker a painter from a Yorkshire family of textile manufacturers and Tom Heron, an entrepreneurial businessman from Leeds.
In 1912, Alec’s father gave him a derelict old silk mill to quell his desire to travel abroad to develop his artistic talents.
Alec transformed the mill and set up Vigil Silk, producing fashionable spot and striped silk based on his designs.
After the First World War he met and married Kay Earle, a Newlyn artist, and moved to Cornwall. Here they set up Cryséde; a small cottage based craft-led industry.
They dyed and hand-blocked-printed the modern designs created by Alec onto Vigil Silk. Kay designed dress patterns that local girls then hand-sewed to create beautiful avant-garde dresses.
From such small beginnings, Cryséde fashionable garments and lengths of silk became highly sort after.
Alec invited Tom to move to Cornwall to manage the expanding business. A chain of shops and a booming innovative mail-order business sold readymade, made-to-order garments and silk lengths all over the world.
Tom’s ambitions outgrew the Cornish business and, in 1929, he and his family moved to Welwyn Garden City where he set up his own business, Cresta Silks.
He commissioned the up-and-coming architect, Wells Coates, to create stylish modern shop front designs incorporating the company’s logo designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer.
He commissioned Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland to create textile designs to be hand-block printed onto the fabrics in vibrant colours. These became the hallmark of this very successful business.
At the start of the Second World War, the government commandeered Cresta silk to make parachutes.
Tom’s business acumen was well-known and he was appointed as Advisor to the Board of Trade where he initiated the Utility Clothing scheme, resulting in the mass production of high-street fashion designed by such well-known names as Hardy Amies and William Hartnell.
This was a fascinating tale of two Yorkshiremen who transformed the world of fashion and design for all time.
The Arts Society organises monthly lectures on all aspects of the arts.
The next illustrated talk, Turner vs Constable: the great British paint-off, will be held on 18th March at 7.30pm at King’s Academy, Binfield.
Guests are always most welcome so why not come along and find out who will ultimately be crowned star painter?
To register interest, email: memsectheartssocietywham@gmail.com
The talk will also be live-streamed and available to watch from home on the Society’s own YouTube channel.
For further details, visit the Society’s website: www.TheArtsSocietyWokingham.org.uk
Sue Bryant
