Florence Broadhurst was born in Australia but gained a worldly perspective at a young age, traveling extensively through Asia, China and Europe as a singer and dancer. She had a profound sense of drive and curiosity (particularly for the early 1900s), and she was notorious for her flamboyant clothing, antique jewelry and coiffed hair. While she held many daring roles in her life, from a London fashion designer to World War II aid to soldiers, her incarnation as a luxury wallpaper hand-printer at age 60 was perhaps her most meaningful pursuit. In this iteration of life, she would spend the next two decades producing images that spread from Australia to London, New York to Shanghai. Bored of the mundane monochromatic and muted tones favored in Australian design, her Sydney-based business began producing vibrant, bold geometrics and nature-inspired designs, all of which were hand-printed. Above all, Broadhurst understood color and composition and had an uncanny ability to predict the future design zeitgeist. In total, her archive spans more than 500 designs ranging from tapestries to geometrics, florals, psychedelics and chinoiseries. Today, the Broadhurst legacy lives on, with TIME Magazine immortalizing her as one of the world’s most influential post-war designers.
Growing from a small family-operated business to the worldwide preeminent performance textile and textile services supplier in luxury hospitality, Valley Forge found inspiration in Broadhurst’s courageous story and strives to carry on her legacy through creation, innovation and sustainability, much like they believe Broadhurst would have done. Broadhurst’s life allows specialized creative companies, such as Valley Forge Fabrics, to connect with the beauty and inspirational energy unique to only a few iconic artists. The Florence Broadhurst Collections by Valley Forge Fabrics showcase these designs in a modern, sophisticated genre. Manufactured in the U.S. at Valley Forge’s print factory inside their main HQ in South Florida, all of the upcoming Broadhurst patterns (owned by the Signature Designs Archive) are curated for seasonal releases, focusing on the singular splendor of each item.
“Florence Broadhurst is a personal hero of mine, so the opportunity to work with her archives to reintroduce her work is a true honor,” said Diana Dobin, CEO/chief sustainability officer, Valley Forge Fabrics. “I am thrilled to showcase her signature colorful, resilient and ground-breaking prints and launch fabrics that are equally beautiful and significant to the art design and hospitality communities.”
Gail Mitchell, CEO, Signature Design Archive, the global agency for Florence Broadhurst, said, “We’re very excited to be working with Valley Forge Fabrics in bringing the Florence Broadhurst designs to such a wide audience. She was an eccentric and talented Australian artist, and her work has inspired generations of designers, and her spirit will continue to live on through these beautiful collections.”
Tags: Diana Dobin, Florence Broadhurst, Gail Mitchell, Signature Design Archive, Valley Forge Fabrics
