SLHS: Tibor Reich Fashion

Beginnings

Tibor Reich was born in Budapest in 1916. His father belonged to wealthy family of Jewish textile producers. In 1933 he left Hungary to study Textile Design and Architecture in Vienna. He highly admired the work of the German modernist studio, Wiener Werkstätte, and the German Bauhaus aesthetic movement.

Ousted From Mainland Europe

In 1937 Jews were leaving Germany due to the rise of Nazism and Reich emigrated to Britain to take City & Guilds exams in Woolen and Worsted Weaving at Leeds University. He then went to work for Tootal of Bolton. Within a year he was frustrated and set up his own business. Having been exhibited alongside Henry Moore and John Nash he was asked to make fabrics for Molyneux, Hardy Amies & Norman Hartnell. In 1940‘s unfortunately high taxes on haut couture pushed him to move to upholstery for a time.

Move To Stratford

In 1946 he purchased the mill at Clifford Chambers and taking out a huge loan he set up new specialist looms. Over the next year he honed his designs and in 1947 submitted one of his first hand woven furnishing designs to the International Wool Secretariat for selection by the young Princess Elizabeth for her forthcoming wedding to Philip. It was chosen as their wedding gift.

Festival Of Britain

In 1951 the British government wanted to show to the world that it was back on the world stage by recreating and updating the Victorian Great Exhibition of 1851. The answer was to display the greatest of all the current British designs in the six month long Festival Of Britain. Reich’s designs showed far more flair and use of colour than standard British designs. Reich was therefore asked to fit out areas of the festival including the Southbank Festival Pavilions, Fairway Café, the Press Room, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, here in Stratford, where he provided curtains and upholstery for the whole building. The Royal Yacht Britannia was fitted out and the new London Airport at Heathrow.

Catching On

The up and coming fashion set were eager for Reich’s creations and so major furniture manufacturers upholstered using Tibor fabrics including Ernest Race, Gordon Russell, Robin Day, Howard Keith, G Plan and Ercol.

Present Day

These days Tibor is run by his grandson, Sam.

Clifford Mill

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

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Clifford Mill - Loading The Warping Creel  1945

Clifford Mill - Tibor Showing His Latest Designs  1946

Concorde’s Interior  1966

Cymbeline Seating & Cushions  Present day