Textile Samples

In the 1950s, the German Democratic Republic prioritized conservative and functional design over the kind of fashionable textiles that were popular in the West. Responding to consumer demand, East German decision makers were intent on changing this situation and encouraged young GDR designers and dressmakers to produce good and desirable fashion. Despite significant progress and development of patterns inspired by French haute couture, textile and garment industries were ultimately unable to meet both the quality and quantity demanded by domestic consumers and international trade partners alike. Uncoordinated policies led to excessive textile production or insufficient supply. Surplus textiles frequently were exported into nearby socialist markets, such as the Soviet Union, saturating their markets. As other Eastern European countries began producing higher-quality textiles at a lower cost, the GDR government reevaluated its production methods and sought beneficial partnerships, such as with the Hungarian design firm Hungarotex. By the 1960s and into the following decades, East German textiles kept pace with Western trends and produced new fabrics such as polyester silk and a nylon-like material that was better known by its GDR brand name, Dederon.

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