WHAT?  Andy Warhol: The Textiles 

WHERE?  The Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

WHEN? Now until 10th September 

WHY GO?  To discover Warhol’s forgotten textile designs.

Is there any form of art this iconic man did not explore? 

Little is known about Warhol’s early contribution to the textile industry and this dedicated exhibition illustrates how he started out as a commercial artist, aided by his mother Julia, and created a whole series of playful designs that were scooped up anonymously as textiles for mass market fashion from the Fifties to early Sixties. 

Through the clever detective work of passionate collectors, Geoffrey Rayner and Richard Chamberlain, many of Warhol’s original artworks and fabrics have been tracked down and some 45 of these designs are now on show, many for the first time. 

No guessing how he evolved into the most revered 20th Century POP artist thereafter as they uncover the origins of his famous repetitive design formula, but instead of soup cans, note whimsical butterflies, bows, fruits and candy, all with a distinctly ‘Mad Men’ style and flavour.

IN THE KNOW Warhol’s biographer, Blake Gopnik, records that his last meal was a dessert from his favourite Serendipity 3 cafe, so it seems fitting that the exhibition highlights his sweet tooth with a fancy ice cream print he designed for American textile giant of the day, M Lowenstein and Sons. It is also the Museum’s promotional poster.