WHATEVER the painter and fabric designer Althea McNish touched turned to gold—and pink, orange, lime and purple. She was a one-woman colour explosion against the grey conformity of post-war Britain.
That golden touch was demonstrated only two days after she completed her studies in printed textiles at London’s Royal College of Art (RCA) in the 1950s. Existing work was snapped up by Liberty department store, the head of which, Arthur Stewart-Liberty, then packed her off in a taxi to meet ‘The Mad Silkman’, Zika Ascher. A Czech émigré artist, designer and businessman, Ascher was noted for uniting radical art with chic design. He promptly commissioned a scintillating new collection from the recent postgraduate, which would be bought by leading French fashion houses Dior and Balenciaga.
This dream start in professional life was all the more remarkable because McNish was part of the Windrush Generation, having left her native Trinidad with her mother in 1951, to follow her father to England. She landed, aged 27, with an amazing maturity.
Her images in paint and on printed fabric were as lush as Jean Rhys novels, but without their underlying melancholy—that pervading sadness borne of exile, colour bars and female powerlessness in a world of men. Together with terrific creative talent, McNish had a steely conviction that she could overcome all obstacles by advancing her ‘tropical’ eye.
Denne historien er fra March 30, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 30, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
