The Auckland Museum Applied Arts collection includes the work of a number of New Zealand's most influential textile designers and printers. This project profiles a selection of both contemporary and recent historical printed textiles as well as some examples of printed souvenirs from the collection.

They were encouraged and assisted by Louis le Vaillant, Curator - Applied Arts, who first made the team aware of the collection in 1999.

The influences of Modernism and of European art movements can be seen in the work of designers May Smith (1906-89), Louise Tilsley (1900-84) and Blanche Wormald (1910-). They experimented with block-printed patterns incorporating New Zealand imagery, often of flora and fauna and patterns from Maori motifs.

William Mason helped create New Zealand's '60s 'pop' style with his bold backdrops for the early black and white music TV shows 'C'Mon' and 'Happen Inn'.

In the 1970s and 1980s new styles emerged, using images from the political and the surreal. Adrienne Foote ('Footeprints', 'DNA Clothing') and Mike Brookfield ('Virus') moved local images on to clothing with their fashion and streetwear.

Maori and Pacific images became incorporated into high fashion through the work of designers for 'Workshop' and 'Whenua' (Margaret Marr).

The Auckland Museum's collection is still growing and the Curator - Applied Arts is keen to hear from anyone with further printed textile pieces of interest.

Please contact Louis le Vaillant by email at llevaillant@akmuseum.org.nz