Shirt-jacket of lightweight printed wool, 'Faces', The Cloth, London, 1984

Low-buttoning light, loose-fitting, collarless jacket-shirt. There are four brown plastic buttons toward the hem. The front is printed with a painterly design of ellipses arranged in columns, separated by vertical lines. The ground is ivory-coloured and the design is printed in black. On the reverse is an image, turned left through ninety degrees, of a large, green mask (on the wearer's shoulders) and two figures. The larger figure, nearest the top, has its arms stretched toward the mask, while the other is squatting holding its head in its hands. This image is also found on the sleeves but appears abstracted as it is not completely visible. The wide, upturned cuffs are printed with the same pattern as the front of the jacket. It is unlined.

Given by Helen Clark (Helen Manning of The Cloth)

Registered file number 2013/670

The Cloth was founded in 1983 by former RCA students Helen Manning, Brian Bolger, Fraser Taylor and David Band, a group of artists with a common interest in painting. This is reflected in their free, abstract and semi-abstract designs.

Their work is very important for exploring the relationship between surface design and fashion. Indeed, the V&A collection contains samples of the dress fabrics used for the construction of this garment (T.199-1987, T.200-1987, T.201-1987)

T.57-2013