Tibor Reich — A Textile Designer Working in Stratford

AbstractTibor Reich began his career as a textile designer and manufacturer in 1940s Britain. Operating from Clifford Mill, close to Stratford-upon-Avon, his company, Tibor Ltd, became one of the most innovative textile companies of the post-war period. His principal strength was that he had a well-developed awareness of the relevant processing technology and, at the same time, was appreciative of contemporary trends affecting art and design. He coped well under conditions of wartime rationing and his company rose to prominence in the wake of several particularly prestigious commissions. Clients included Concorde, Ercol, QE2, Lotus Cars, Coventry Cathedral and the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford- upon-Avon. He showed a willingness to exploit the full potential of available technology and readily experimented with the newly available forms of fibres in the decades following the Second World War. The particular focus of this article is on identifying those factors of importance in Reich's rise to prominence...