Bernat Klein c.1963 - 66, Martin Mandel, Image courtesy of National Museums Scotland
Bernat Klein’s vision about design, colour and creative practice continues to inspire.
In a career spanning six decades, Klein found international success in the interrelated spheres of fine art, fashion, textile design, architecture, industrial design, and colour consultancy.
Serbian born designer Bernat Klein (1922–2014) emigrated to the UK in the post-war period and based his textile manufacturing business in the Scottish Borders (1951–1992). He sold couture fabrics to leading couturiers such as Chanel and Dior, gained recognition in Scandinavia and North America, and realised two important modernist buildings with architect Peter Womersley (1923–1993).
High Sunderland, 2016, Gordon Burniston courtesy of Graphical House
“Design tries to get to the truth by the shortest route. It recognises that there are many routes to it and when it gets there it does not say: ‘This is the ultimate.’ It merely suggests a closer approximation than existed before to the best solution of the problem in hand. The implication is clear that this too will one day be replaced by something better.”
Design Matters, p.6
Timeline
Bernat Klein was a textile designer and manufacturer, artist and colourist. Throughout his life he exhibited locally and nationally with paintings held in private and public collections.
A more in-depth timeline is contained within the book Bernat Klein (Schoeser/ Harley) published by the Foundation.
Buy now
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Born 6 November in Senta, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), into an Orthodox Jewish family who were textile wholesalers
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Attends Bezalel School of Art & Craft, Palestine, initially studying fine art, then textile design
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Emigrates to Britain and studies Textile Technology at the University of Leeds
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Designer at Tootal Broadhurst Lee in Bolton, then moves to Scotland to design for Munrospun in Edinburgh and, from 1950, Galashiels
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Becomes a naturalised British Citizen
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Marries Margaret Soper (d.2008)
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Completion of the Klein family home, High Sunderland, architect Peter Womersley
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Publication of autobiography Eye for Colour and Personal Colour Guides 1 - 6 which you can buy here
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Builds the Bernat Klein Studio, architect Peter Womersley, RIBA Design Award 1973
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Publication of Design Matters which you can buy here
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Publication of Bernat Klein, Textile Designer, Artist, Colourist
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Throughout his life Bernat Klein was a practising artist, exhibiting work in exhibitions locally and nationally with paintings held in private and public collections and archives
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1952–1966
Colourcraft Ltd and Bernat Klein Ltd (BKL), Galashiels, Scotland1966–1972
Bernat Klein Design Consultants Ltd1973–1989
Bernat Klein Design Ltd1981–1992
Bernat Klein Ltd , in sequence undertaking:Womenswear and menswear woven fabrics (1958–1987)
Knitting yarns and garments (1963–1992)
Carpets, flooring and enamelled metal ware (1963–c.1979)
Colour consultancies and planning (1965–late 1970s)
Sales and showrooms (1964–1981)
Upholstery fabrics (1966–1979)
Ready-to-wear (1966–1989)
Screen-printed polyesters known as the Diolen collection (1968–1981)
Our Purpose
The Bernat Klein Foundation was launched in 2018 to develop and manage the legacy of Bernat Klein.
Through its work in education, research, publication and exhibition, the foundation creates new opportunities. These include educational awards, commissioning new creative content such as short films, and the co-curation of exhibitions, which showcase contemporary practice inspired and influenced by Bernat Klein. The foundation also encourages public engagement through events, workshops and talks, and its partnerships enable contributions to creative and cultural communities across Scotland.
The foundation has developed a series of projects, including -
Bernat Klein: Connecting Creative Practitioners & Innovative Producers 2025 – 2027
Bernat Klein: Crafting Colour and Innovation – 2025
Exploring the influences and inspiration of Bernat Klein through contemporary practice 2023 – 2024
'Bernat Klein' (ed. Schoeser/ Harley), published by the BKF, 2022
Bernat Klein: a material exploration for new digital content creation – 2022
Securing Bernat Klein's Creative and Cultural Legacy 2019 – 2021
‘Lichen’ 3’, Bernat Klein, 1966; oil on canvas, Image courtesy of National Museums Scotland
Our Trustees & Patron
Our trustees and patron reflect a range of professions with knowledge and expertise that shape and guide the development of the foundation.
The foundation is a creatively-led organisation underpinned with highly experienced educational, curatorial, publication, business and development skills. Through the board of trustees and patron, the foundation contributes to cultural and material heritage, as well as supports contemporary practice; and combined networks extend nationally and internationally.
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Alison Harley is a Founding Trustee & Chair of the Bernat Klein Foundation, and Creative Director for projects developed and delivered by the foundation. Alison has worked in senior leadership roles in Art & Design Higher Education as Head of the School of Design, The Glasgow School of Art; Dean of the Faculty of Design, Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore; and Professor and Head of the School of Textiles & Design, Heriot-Watt University. As an academic leader she developed initiatives in learning and teaching, and research and knowledge exchange, as well as new organisational structures for each organisation.
In 2012 Alison interviewed Bernat Klein at his home High Sunderland, in which he discussed his work as a designer, artist and industrialist. Since 2016 Alison has worked as an independent practitioner developing her particular interest in Bernat Klein, which has been shared through exhibition and publication, including Bernat Klein (Schoeser / Harley) published in 2022 marking Klein’s centenary.
Established early in her career through the gallery system, Alison’s studio practice continues to inform and underpin her ideas about the Klein archive collections.
Alison studied Textile Design at Glasgow School of Art, and also holds an MLITT Dress & Textile Histories from the University of Glasgow.
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Jonathan Klein (only son of Bernat and Margaret Klein) has spent his working life as an academic, and is currently an Associate Professor working in the field of Management Science at the Southampton Business School (University of Southampton).
Jonathan has published extensively in academic journals, and his research focuses on particular interests in problem structuring and solving, and their role in healthcare management.
Jonathan is also a keen musician and singer-songwriter.
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Lynsey Calder is a textile designer and practitioner, researcher and educator who has published practice-based research on a range of topics.
Lynsey studied Printed Textile Design in the School of Textiles & Design at Heriot-Watt University, Scottish Borders Campus, and holds a PhD in ‘Fashion and Perception’ also from Heriot-Watt University. Whilst writing her thesis, Lynsey met Bernat Klein and developed an interest in his work, which she continues to explore through her textile practice.
Currently Lynsey is a Research Fellow with Rural Lab at The Glasgow School of Art, alongside her role as The Textiles Technical Team Leader, supporting staff and students across all areas of textiles.
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Shona Sinclair is the Curator for Live Borders Museums, Galleries and Archives, in the Scottish Borders. With over twenty-five years of curatorial experience, Shona has led the development of many innovative museum projects in the Scottish Borders, including the opening of Borders Textile Towerhouse in Hawick in 2010.
Shona’s interest and study of Bernat Klein has led to the development of a museum collection of over hundred examples that explore his life and career in the Borders Textile Industry. She studied in the School of Textiles at Heriot-Watt University, followed by Museum Studies at St Andrews University.
Shona is an Associated Member of the Museums Association.
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Alex Clayden is a postgraduate researcher in Design at the University of Leeds, studying the intersection of late 20th century art and fashion as created by his own grandmother—artist-craftsman Marian Clayden.
His previous education has been in Classical History through both the University of California and University College London. He currently works in financial crime prevention for the financial sector.
Alex was introduced to the Foundation through Mary Schoeser, the Foundation’s Patron and long-time friend of his grandmother. He is also a devoted Quaker.
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Ann-Marie Fry is an experienced communications professional who has worked for over twenty years in PR, Marketing and Fundraising Communications both in-house, freelance, and as a consultant for the public, private and voluntary sectors.
With architecture and built environment clients, she has developed her writing and engaging copy across platforms to raise awareness of key buildings and developments in Scotland. Ann-Marie’s freelance writing career includes articles for Homes and Interior magazines, and other key publications where she developed her knowledge and interest in textiles and interior design.
Ann-Marie was a member of the Children’s Panel for ten years, and has worked with adult, child, social care and healthcare charities to help raise their profiles and achieve fundraising targets. She is a keen supporter of the creative arts in Scotland, both as a performer in the Glasgow School of Art Choir and as a supporter of the performing and creative arts.
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Pete Williamson has worked in the video game industry his entire career. He founded the developer Supersonic Software Ltd at the age of 18, which is now one of the longest established games companies in the world.
He was also part of the founding consortium of the publisher Appynation Ltd, a company Supersonic later fully acquired. Pete has design and development credits on over 100 video games, on platforms such as Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox consoles and in more recent times on ‘free-to-play’ mobile phone games.
Pete has a keen interest in architecture - working with Dualchas Architects on a residential project on the Isle of Skye and Sjölander da Cruz Architects on a commercial project in Warwickshire. He also has a keen interest in art and design, with a modest but growing collection of paintings and textile works by contemporary artists.
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Maggie Marr is a Founding Trustee and the Secretary for the Bernat Klein Foundation. She is also responsible for Project and Financial Management for projects developed and delivered by the foundation.
Maggie has worked in textile manufacturing, training, education and business development across Scotland’s private and public sectors. In the development of initiatives to support economic regeneration in local communities she has worked with industry, local councils and enterprise agencies in Scotland and Ireland. These initiatives have included the design and management of training, education programmes and industry / education partnerships, which have led to the further development of the textile and craft industries in the Scottish Borders, Shetland, Orkney, Outer Hebrides, and Donegal, Ireland.
Maggie is an experienced senior manager, and has led teams in the development and delivery of art, design, craft and textile education and research programmes in Further and Higher Education. Previous employers have included Scottish Borders Council, University of the Highlands and Islands, University of Edinburgh, and Heriot-Watt University.
Since 2008 Maggie has worked as a freelance consultant developing and delivering significant economic development projects for organisations such as Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Shetland Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, The Scottish Tartan Authority, and companies such as Donegal Yarns and Harris tweed Hebrides.
Maggie has experience of fundraising through preparing funding applications (European Social and Regional Development Funds, Heritage Lottery, Creative Scotland, and William Grant Foundation) which have brought in significant funds to deliver projects for her previous employers, consultancy clients and the Bernat Klein Foundation.
Maggie studied Industrial Textile Design and is a graduate of the Scottish College of Textiles.
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Jana Hutt has worked in skills, quality and business development at senior levels with organisations such as Highland and Islands Enterprise, and as an independent auditor for government training schemes.
She has also contributed to the Scottish Children’s Panel and as a Board Member for UHI Moray College.
As Chair of the Knockando Woolmill Trust Jana led a major restoration project with trustees to raise £3.55 million, establishing a heritage-based commercial company in 2009.
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Michael Wolchover studied interior and furniture design at Central St Martins, and has since pursued a career in photography and interpretation of the built environment, always with an interest in textiles.
More recently, an opportunity to photograph the house and studio at High Sunderland for the Bernat Klein exhibition at Dovecot Studios, brought these two themes very neatly together and prompted a desire to help keep the Klein legacy alive.
Now based in Fife, Michael is also involved with design projects celebrating the heritage of the linen industry.
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Peter Lawson CBE is a retired solicitor having spent his professional working life in the West of Scotland. Latterly he was a partner in the firm of Miller Samuel Hill Brown LLP where he specialised in Licensing and Commercial property.
Peter has been a lifelong and active supporter of cultural life in Scotland and is currently the Chair of Scottish Opera. He was previously: Chair of Tron Theatre Glasgow and Glasgow UNESCO City of Music; a board member of BAFTA Scotland; board member and advisor of Play, Pie and Pint Oran Mor Glasgow; appointed to Glasgow Caledonian University Arts Policy Group; board director of NVA Ltd, dealing principally with the St Peters Cardross Project; and a Director of Willow Tearooms Trust : MacIntosh at the Willow 2022 to 2025. He was formerly a member of Maggies West of Scotland Branch.
Peter enjoys collecting art and has a particular interest in mid century architecture and furniture.
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Wilma Bouwmeester is a Heritage Preservation Consultant promoting the sustainable preservation of heritage through advisory services in the care of historic interiors, (art) collections and the buildings in which they are housed. Wilma’s background is in Art Teaching and Textile Conservation, and she holds an MS in Sustainable Heritage. With over 30 years’ experience working with museums and heritage organisations of all types and sizes, Wilma focus is to ensure their collections are handled, displayed, stored, and cared for in a sustainable way. Wilma specialises in the sustainable provision of suitable museum environments through good building design and passive control where possible, and in 2024 she achieved Certified Carbon Literacy.
Her core skills include Collection Management and Care, Strategic Planning and Structuring, Training Development and Delivery. Wilma works with museum and heritage clients of all types and sizes as part of (HLF-funded) Project Teams, through collections care audits, training sessions, and individual advice.
Wilma’s professional experience includes working as an Environmental Adviser to the Government Indemnity Scheme (Arts Council England); Visiting Lecturer University of Glasgow; Assessor for the ICON Professional Accreditation Scheme for Conservators; Trustee/Vice-Chair of the Scottish Society of Conservation and Restoration; Conservator and Senior Conservator of the National Trust for Scotland; Preventive Conservator of the Scottish Museums Council.
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Mary Schoeser’s numerous publications include World Textiles: A concise history (T&H: 2023). A consultant archivist to enterprises including Collier Campbell, Laura Ashley, Liberty of London, MYB Textiles, Sanderson, and Scottish Borders Studio, she understands manufacturers and production itself.
Restoration work with historic property owners, as well as 44 curatorial projects, underpins her understanding of visitor experiences.
Currently Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the V&A Museum, she is also Patron of the School of Textiles, Coggeshall.
