Honoring the pioneering architectural spirit in which it was founded, Knoll Textiles designs textiles for the contemporary interior with a focus on utility, traditional weaving, technique, and collaboration.

Knoll Textiles design studio. Photography by Nick Ballón, 2023.

The design studio explores archival and contemporary expressions of Knoll Textiles’ founding values to develop textiles in meaningful dialogue with their surroundings.

Classic Boucle. Photography by Nick Ballón, 2023.

Knoll Textiles design studio. Photography by Nick Ballón, 2023.

Florence Knoll

Knoll Textiles was founded in 1947 by Florence Knoll, an American architect, interior designer, and leading figure of modern design who pioneered the practice of integrated architectural and design services.

Hans Knoll established the Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company in 1938.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Florence at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, ca. 1933.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

The Cranbrook Academy of Art, ca. 1933.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Knoll collaborators, Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames, at Cranbrook, ca. 1941.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence and Hans Knoll with Nordiska Kompaniet business associates in Sweden, ca. 1946.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence and Hans Knoll with the Saarinen Family, ca. 1949.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence graduated from The Illinois Institute of Technology in 1941, where she studied architecture with Mies van der Rohe.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection.

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Florence at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, ca. 1933.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

The Cranbrook Academy of Art, ca. 1933.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Knoll collaborators, Eero Saarinen and Charles Eames, at Cranbrook, ca. 1941.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence and Hans Knoll with Nordiska Kompaniet business associates in Sweden, ca. 1946.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence and Hans Knoll with the Saarinen Family, ca. 1949.

Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives Digital Collection.

Florence graduated from The Illinois Institute of Technology in 1941, where she studied architecture with Mies van der Rohe.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection.

Florence and Hans Knoll married and together established Knoll Associates, Inc. in 1946.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Leading Knoll Associates, Inc. with her husband Hans Knoll, Florence established Knoll’s textiles division with an aim of creating textiles as modern as the furniture and spaces she was designing.

Florence founded the Knoll Planning Unit, an all-encompassing interior planning service, in 1946.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Florence led the company until her retirement in 1965, but periodically worked with Knoll on exhibitions and projects in the following years.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

“She had that ability to critique [something], to tear it apart and put it back together. She was something else.”

—Bob Longwell, Knoll employee

Collaboration

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.
Florence championed the practice of collaborating with—and crediting—the leading creative minds of the time, from weaver Anni Albers to graphic designer Herbert Matter.

Noémi Raymond.

The Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania, David Leavitt Collection.

Mosaic by Noémi Raymond, ca. 1950.

Lazy Lines by Astrid Sampe, ca. 1953.

Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY.

Striae Stripe, introduced in 2015 by Knoll Textiles, references Rugby by Astrid Sampe, ca. 1955.

Eszter Haraszty.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Triad by Eszter Haraszty, ca. 1954.

Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY.

Suzanne Huguenin.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Nylon Homespun by Suzanne Huguenin, ca. 1958.

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Noémi Raymond.

The Architectural Archives, University of Pennsylvania, David Leavitt Collection.

Mosaic by Noémi Raymond, ca. 1950.

Lazy Lines by Astrid Sampe, ca. 1953.

Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY.

Striae Stripe, introduced in 2015 by Knoll Textiles, references Rugby by Astrid Sampe, ca. 1955.

Eszter Haraszty.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Triad by Eszter Haraszty, ca. 1954.

Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY.

Suzanne Huguenin.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Nylon Homespun by Suzanne Huguenin, ca. 1958.

Herbert Matter. Advertisement for Knoll Associates, Inc. featuring York, 1965.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Herbert Matter. Advertisement for Knoll Associates, Inc., 1965.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Herbert Matter. Collage for Knoll Textiles, ca. 1966.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

“Herbert Matter’s advertisements were striking, and clearly gave the visual message at a glance with minimal text and occasionally with wry humor.”

—Florence Knoll

Herbert Matter. Advertisement for Knoll Associates, Inc. featuring Apples by Stig Lindberg, Sampe Stripe by Astrid Sampe, and Chinese Coins by Noémi Raymond, ca. 1948.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Herbert Matter. Advertisement for Knoll Associates, Inc. featuring Fibra and Triad by Eszter Haraszty, ca. 1954.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Takaaki Matsumoto. Knoll Textiles envelope, 1985.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

Legacy

Florence Knoll’s handwritten note to Coco Kim, Knoll director of communications, featuring swatches of Scotch Linen by Franz Lorenz, 1950 and Prestini by Toni Prestini, 1947.

Embracing Florence Knoll’s holistic and visionary design values, Knoll Textiles continues to explore color, layered materiality, and tailored constructions through new textiles alongside faithful reissues and contemporary interpretations of archival designs.

Cato in Fire Red, 1961. Photography by Nick Ballón, 2023.

Florence Knoll.

Courtesy of Knoll Archives.

“True colors, interesting textures, and serviceability are three qualities which have distinguished the Knoll Textiles collection from the beginning.”

– Florence Knoll

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