V&A Pattern

Following the success of the previous titles in the V&A Pattern series, four new books reveal more of the V&A’s spectacular and extensive pattern collections.

ChineseTextiles by Yueh-Siang Chang moves through the centuries highlighting the motifs of luxurious courtly robes, floral silks intended for the export market, and even the tongue-in-cheek patterns of Vivienne Tam.

Spitalfields Silks by Moria Thunder displays delightful floral designs alongside quirky, strikingly modern silks, all produced in 18th-century London.

Pop Patterns by Oriole Cullen showcases Andy Warhol’s influence on commercial design in the 1970s, when soup cans, lipsticks, and even men’s haircuts graced dress fabrics and wallpapers.

Walter Crane by Esme Whittaker looks at the works of a key designer of the Aesthetic movement, incorporating swans, bulrushes, fairy tales, and more into his diverse patterns.

Oriole Cullen is curator of Fashion in Motion and Modern Textiles and Fashion at the V&A. Esme Whittaker is assistant curator in the Word and Image Department at the V&A. Yueh-Siang Chang is assistant curator of Chinese arts in the Asian Department at the V&A. Moira Thunder is curator of design in the Word and Image Department at the V&A.