Florals, chinoiserie and ikats, oh my: After a 20-year hiatus, legendary textile brand Bassett McNab relaunches with a fresh new collection.

Bassett McNab textiles were on radiant display in this Traci Zeller-designed room at the inaugural Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas last fall.

How’s this for a Philadelphia story: Established in 1894, Bassett McNab became a major player in the 20th century American design scene with its traditional and timeless fabrics, from classic toiles to chinoiserie to florals. Fittingly acquired by fellow Philadelphia brand Stout textiles (whose founder, Charles Stout, was a partner in the 1908 firm of Bassett McNab & Co.) in 2019, the brand has returned to life under the leadership of creative director and renowned textile artist Anne Hahn-Waddell with its first collection in 20 years.

An in-process shot of the Origins collection development with painting by Creative Director Anne Hahn-Waddell

It’s an updated take on the brand’s classic aesthetic, notes Hahn-Waddell of the initial launch, Origins, which boasts a variety of reimagined patterns and colorways.

A color story of swatches from the completed collection

“I knew from the first moment I hunted through the archival images that Stout truly owned a formidable design treasure trove and wanted to give designers access to these beauties as quickly as possible. It was so exciting to dust off these designs and give them a modern voice.”Fabric affcionados can expect much more from the brand in 2021—including follow-up collection Signature, with three beloved print designs from the archive plus two embroideries and four supporting wovens.“The fabrics are colored in the hues of the morning sky, clear and crisp, glowing in the morning sun with a soft brightness,” says Hahn-Waddell.“Like Origins, the second collection establishes the handwriting, the signature of the brand moving forward. Never one to sit still, a third collection is in its very early stages.”