Textile, Fibra

Eszter Haraszty was head of Knoll’s textile division from 1950 to 1955. She also served as color consultant to Knoll Associates and frequently collaborated with Herbert Matter on the company’s promotional materials. Her strong color sense had a major impact on the “Knoll look,” as she moved the company away from the earth tones popular at the time and developed a coordinated palette of bright, clear colors across the entire textile line. Fibra was one of Knoll’s most successful print designs, and it remained in production for 16 years. It was selected for MoMA’s Good Design exhibition in 1953 and won the American Institute of Decorators first award for printed fabrics in 1954. To create the design, Haraszty asked photographer Erich Hartmann to photograph the wire heddles of Knoll designer Evelyn Hill’s loom. The photos were enlarged and edited to create a loom-width repeat. Printed in Haraszty’s vivid color combinations, the design is abstract and bold. This piece, at full width and over 13 feet in length, will be the first full repeat of Fibra in the museum’s collection.