Maria Kipp

Maria Kipp (1900–1988) was a textile designer and engineer active in the United States from the 1920s until her death. Her commissions ranged from the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, UT to Air Force One.

Maria Kipp
Born	1900
Died	1988
Alma mater	Staatliche Fachschule für Texitilindustrie
Known for	Textile designer
Movement	Maria Kipp Handweaves

Life

Born in Germany, Kipp was the first woman to study at the Staatliche Fachschule für Texitilindustrie (State Academy for the Textile Industry), from where she graduated in 1923 as a textile engineer. In 1924, Kipp and her husband emigrated to the United States without sponsorship. They settled in Los Angeles where Kipp opened a successful studio, Maria Kipp Handweaves, specializing in handwoven furnishing fabrics for 60 years.[1] Modernist architects such as Rudolph Schindler and Richard Neutra sought out her designs for their interiors. Neutra used Kipp's designs in his own home, as did other prominent Southern California architects such as Welton Becket, who commissioned her to create interiors for the Bullock's chain of department stores, and Paul Revere Williams, who partnered with her to create interiors for celebrity homes and the Beverly Hills Polo Lounge.[2] Her list of celebrity clients also included Walt Disney and Claudette Colbert.

Although she was lesser known than her contemporaries Anni Albers and Dorothy Liebes, Kipp received an inaugural award for woven fabrics from the American Institute of Decorators in 1948.[3]

References

1. Musicant, Marlyn (2000). "Maria Kipp: Autobiography of a Hand Weaver". Studies in Decorative Arts. 8: 92–107. JSTOR 40662761.
2. "Midcentury Modern Designers Highlight Museum Exhibit". San Bernardino County Museum of Art. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
3. Kirkham, Pat (2000). Women Designers in the USA 1900 - 2000. Yale University Press. pp. 150–151. ISBN 0-300-09331-4.

External links

• Maria Kipp Showroom and Building, Los Angeles, CA (1951). Photographs by Julius Shulman.