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Advancing Textile Craft Through Innovation: the Influence and Legacy of Jack Lenor Larsen

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Advancing Textile Craft Through Innovation: the Influence and Legacy of Jack Lenor Larsen CRRE 5 (1) pp. 97–109 Intellect Limited 2014 Craft Research Volume 5 Number 1 © 2014 Intellect Ltd Craft & Industry Report. English language. doi: 10.1386/crre.5.1.97_1 Craft & Industry report Stephanie Watson Zollinger University of Minnesota, USA Advancing textile craft through innovation: The influence and legacy of Jack Lenor Larsen Keywords Abstract advanced textile design Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated was founded in 1953 and quickly became one of the world’s leading textile design research producers, specializing in high-end fabrics for use in interior environments. Larsen was an innovative designer jacquard weaving and businessman who made significant contributions to the textile and design industries. Archival research and oral history interviews with Larsen and his former designers, executives, employees and colleagues were conducted to iden- craft textiles tify the ways in which Larsen advanced the textile industry. Analysis of the data found that Larsen innovated global collaborations in three areas of the textile industry: technology, globalization and corporate branding. His technology innova- tions provided the industry with new manufacturing techniques while producing consistently high-quality 97 CRRE_5.1_Craft & Industry report_97-109.indd 97 3/1/14 8:02:16 AM Stephanie Watson Zollinger textiles. Larsen drew inspiration for design and manufacturing from his international work; he globalized the textile world. His business flourished through his ability to innovate in textile design and manufacturing in ways that gave Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated visibility as one of the first corporate brands. Introduction In 1997, the textile design studio of Jack Lenor Larsen Inc. was purchased by the English firm Colefax and Fowler. The firm’s archives, covering 45 years of work, were donated to the University of Minnesota’s (UMN) Goldstein Museum of Design, the University’s Archive and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Jack Lenor Larsen is an American weaver specializing in fabrics for use in interior environments. Larsen is best known for his loomed fabrics, textured random-weave upholstery fabrics, grainy batiks, tufted leather rugs, printed velvets, airy cotton and Thai silks. For over 45 years (1952–1997), Larsen has been one of the foremost designers and producers of high-end textiles in the United States (Guerin and Watson 2001: 5). As a result of the Larsen Archive acquisition, a project was undertaken to better understand Larsen’s design legacy. Although there has been much attention and excitement concerning the aesthetic side of Larsen’s work, there is little research and focus describing his innovations and contributions to the textile world. Analysis of archived materials and interviews with Larsen and his former designers, executives, employees and colleagues were conducted over a period of two years. The interviews were intended to fill the void in the literature and complement data in the archives. The purpose of the research in this report was to identify the contributions made to the textile craft industry by Larsen through his company Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated. Background Larsen was born on 6 August 1927, in Seattle, Washington. Intrigued with design, Larsen studied architecture and interior design at the University of Washington. He took a weaving workshop and found that weaving was ‘actual’, whereby the study of architecture was theoretical. Larsen became entranced by the physical nature of weaving, i.e., the hands-on experience (Randall 2005:48). Larsen graduated with a B.A. in weaving and then completed an M.F.A. in textile design at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Weaving gave him the chance to express, in tangible form, his interests in colour and texture (Simpson 1984: 226). In 1952, Larsen formed his first company, Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated. He explored the design possibilities of both hand and power weaving and converted many costly hand-weaving operations to the power loom. Propelled by this success, in 1958, Larsen introduced a design and colour consulting service and formed the Larsen Design Studio. This allowed him to consult with 98 CRRE_5.1_Craft & Industry report_97-109.indd 98 3/1/14 8:02:16 AM Advancing textile craft through innovation Figure 1: Larsen and Tree of Leif. 99 CRRE_5.1_Craft & Industry report_97-109.indd 99 3/1/14 8:02:17 AM Stephanie Watson Zollinger architects and commercial interior designers on architectural projects and introduce new concepts of design and colour to the design industry (Beale and Hedgecock 1984: 64). In 1963, a third company, Larsen International, was opened in Zurich, Switzerland. The company was created to manufacture and distribute Larsen-designed fabrics for the international market. Additional branches opened in Stuttgart, Germany, and Paris, France (Feisst 1984: 48). The 1970s brought more global diversifica- tion to the company. In 1972, Larsen acquired Thaibok Fabrics Ltd, and Larsen Carpet and Leather was established in 1973 (Larsen 1998: 30). In 1997, the Larsen Company merged with Cowtan & Tout, the American subsidiary of the Colefax and Fowler Group of London, England (Figure 1). Method The first goal of this project was to understand the scope of Larsen’s work by analysing collections in the Larsen archives (UMN) as a contextual framework to guide the interviews. Archival research included a review of press releases, advertising, magazine articles, correspondence and Larsen’s product and production files. This research assisted in documenting and understanding characteristics, technologies and specific fabrics that were significant to the advancement of textile design and manufacturing. Next, the author conducted in-depth interviews with Larsen and fourteen former Larsen design- ers, staff, colleagues and museum curators. The majority of the interviewees were selected in regards to proximity to New York City and their willingness to participate. On average, each interview was an hour and a half in length. Three former staff personnel were interviewed twice. As many former Larsen employees and Larsen, himself, are retired, there was a sense of urgency to this project. Without their stories, memories and input, an essential piece of textile craft history will be lost forever. Findings This report covers the findings that emphasize how the legacy of Larsen’s studio has influenced advances in the field of textile craft. Textile craft as used in this study comprises practitioners who display an understanding of their chosen materials and an understanding of the traditions that have gone before. It implies knowledge and involvement from the initial design concept to finished fabri- cation. Three major innovations were identified and will be presented here along with their impact on the textile industry. The innovations are technology, globalization and corporate branding. Innovation and technology A portion of Jack Lenor Larsen Incorporated’s success clearly rested on the innovation of its designs and the quality of textiles produced, both of which depended on the technological changes implemented by Larsen. Lotus Stack, Curator of Textiles at the Minneapolis Institute of 100 CRRE_5.1_Craft & Industry report_97-109.indd 100 3/1/14 8:02:17 AM Advancing textile craft through innovation Arts, explained that ‘a hands-on approach was used with the understanding that design was more than pattern applied to a cloth. The two elements, cloth and pattern, had to be totally integrated to be a success’ (Stack 2009b). Most of the initial design and production team members were hand weavers and this idea was embedded in their consciousness. In addition, the collabo- rative atmosphere in the studio encouraged exploration of new ways to meet design challenges (Guerin and Watson 2001: 27). Several technological innovations identified in this study are discussed below. By the late 1950s, the Modern Movement had captured the minds of designers of commercial interior design. Larsen was challenged to produce drapery fabric durable enough to withstand the glare of curtain-walls, i.e., floor-to-ceiling windows, used in high-rise buildings. These tall, large windows presented problems for employees who needed glare and sun control yet wanted to take advantage of the daylight. Larsen’s innovative solution was Interplay, a highly practical fabric with the open-work look of basketry (Figure 2 – see remarkable image section, p. 140). The fabric is made from the synthetic substance Saran and has no residual stretch. The Saran yarn was incorporated into a warp knit structure and the finished cloth heat-set so it was flexible but dimensionally stable. This fire-resistant, soil-resistant, sun- and fade-resistant textile was technologically innovative, brought visibility to the company and advanced textile design by pushing technology in a new direc- tion (Hemphill 1983: 210). Another innovation was confirmed by a Larsen-generated press release in 1961, when he conceived the first stretch upholstery fabric (Larsen 1961). Larsen explained, ‘with the increasing importance of new manufacturing techniques in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in moulded and sculptured furniture, stretch fabric was certainly a promising area to be exploring’ (Larsen 2009). Stretch fabrics such as Momentum and Firebird are made with textured Caprolan nylon and have modified two-way stretch properties that make them especially adaptable to curvi- linear, free-form furniture shapes. Larsen mentioned that he ‘liked the brilliance of colour that can be achieved with Caprolan; its lightness and toughness; its dry, toothy hand; and the forms it gives when stretched’ (2009). In the 1960s and 1970s, Larsen introduced bold printed velvets to the field. Designer Paul Gedeohn explained that prior to this time period, it was almost impossible to screen print complex patterns on traditional velvets. The dye could not penetrate the thick pile. Gedeohn confided that ‘he and Jack were challenged’. After extensive experimentation, Larsen successfully wove cotton velvet that was luxurious to the touch and had pile low enough to take the hand screen-print dye with no loss in colour intensity. This was innovative technology that advanced textile craft (Figure 3).
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