Join us for an insightful panel discussion with the exhibition curators and contributors behind Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell.
This special event offers a rare opportunity to step inside the vibrant world of pioneering designers, sisters Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, whose exuberant painterly patterns transformed British printed textiles bringing bold colour and imaginative perspectives to homes and interiors around the globe.
Alongside Sarah Campbell, the curators will share how they selected a dynamic array of material from the Collier Campbell Archive to shape a joyful journey through colour, pattern, and process. For over 50 years, the sisters worked side by side, developing distinctive designs and collaborating with iconic brands including Liberty, Heals, Jaeger M&S, Habitat, Pkaufman, Martex, work which Sarah continues to develop and share today.
Designed to illuminate the sisters’ creative evolution — from the first sweep of the paintbrush to finished textile, fashion, and homeware pieces — the exhibition celebrates their legacy as innovators and storytellers in pattern design. This discussion will delve into the exhibition-making process, offering behind-the-scenes insights into curatorial choices, archival discoveries, and the enduring impact of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell’s work.
Enhance your experience by pre-ordering your copy of the new book Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell published to coincide with the exhibition.
About the speakers
Sarah Campbell is an internationally acclaimed textile designer who, together with her late sister Susan Collier, founded and ran a groundbreaking and renowned design partnership, creating iconic motifs for some of the industry’s greatest names for more than 50 years. Love of pattern and colour and an inventive freshness are the hallmarks of her work. Since 2011 Sarah has worked on her own – making, teaching, writing, and continuing to paint designs on cloth and paper both for commercial production and to special commission. She is the author of Hand-Painted Textiles (Herbert Press), monographs The Art of Pattern and Dailies, and co-author, with Emma Shackleton, of The Collier Campbell Archive, Fifty Years of Passion in Pattern.
Teresa Collenette is a design historian (V&A/RCA History of Design MA) with a special interest in the material culture of scissors. Her 2018 exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, The Secret Life of Scissors explored the complex lives of scissors as ambiguous ‘things’ surrounded by superstition, myth and symbolism. Teresa has worked on a number of Fashion and Textile Museum exhibitions including, Liberty in Fashion, 1920s Jazz Age, Night & Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs, The World of Anna Sui, Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous, Beautiful People: The Boutique in 1960s Counterculture and Kaffe Fassett: The Power of Pattern.
Dennis Nothdruft is Head of Exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum. He has led the exhibitions team at the Museum since it was founded by Zandra Rhodes in 2003 and previously spent many years working as a design assistant in Zandra Rhodes studios in both San Diego and London. He has lectured widely on many aspects of fashion and textiles and has authored several books including Zandra Rhodes 50 Fabulous Years in Fashion, How to Draw like a Fashion Designer, How to Draw Vintage Fashion, Kaffe Fassett the Artist’s Eye and A History of Fashion for Children.
infoInfo
Confirmation email: Once you have made a booking, you will receive a confirmation email detailing all the information you will need prior to your event, this is your event ticket. You will also receive a reminder email one week prior to your event.
Event details: Please check your confirmation email for the start and finish times of your event. Upon entry, please present your ticket(s) on your device or a note of your booking reference number. Exhibition entry is included in your ticket, you are welcome to view the exhibition before or after the event.
Eating and drinking: No food or drink is permitted in the Museum, other than bottled water. The Fashion and Textile Museum is located in the heart of Bermondsey Street, surrounded by award-winning restaurants, cafes and pubs. So, if you would like to enjoy a meal or a drink before or after your visit, there is plenty to choose from.For more information, check out our plan your visit page or our FAQs.