Pola Stout

Although Pola Stout was born in Poland, she preferred education in Vienna and moved there to study at the Kunsgewerbe Schule. While there, she studied textile design and hand-looming, and then joined the Wiener Werkstatte. In 1934, she went to the United States and began working for Dunhill. Her wools were used by fashion and costume designers, like Lentz Gibbons, a company that exclusively used her fabrics for suits, capes, and coats. In 1940, she started designing for Botany Mills where she designed a collection per season, including limited edition textiles. It wasn’t until 1946 that Stout started her own company with a mill in Philadelphia. She is best remembered for her innovative use of stripes.