Nicholas Sekers
Nicholas T. Sekers Sir | |
|---|---|
 Sekers c.1962 | |
| Born | 12 December 1910 Sopron, Hungary |
| Died | 23 June 1972 |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Other names | "Miki" |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Sekers Fabrics |
Sir Nicholas T. "Miki" Sekers, MBE (12 December 1910 in Sopron,[1] Hungary – 23 June 1972 in Yugoslavia) was a British-based industrialist who, with his cousin, founded Sekers Fabrics. He was also a patron of the arts.
Sekers had trained in textile technology in Krefeld, Germany. At the invitation of John Adams (later Lord Adams) who was charged with overcoming the 50% unemployment from which West Cumberland was suffering at the time, Sekers arrived in Britain from Hungary in 1937 with his cousin, Tomi de Gara, to establish West Cumberland Silk Mills at Richmond Hill, Hensingham, West Cumberland, in 1938.[2] During World War II West Cumberland Silk Mills was required to make parachute silk. When supplies of silk ran low, and the new experimental product nylon was introduced as a replacement, Sekers began experimenting with the new synthetic fabric, seeing its potential for dressmaking. An introduction to Christian Dior led to Sekers producing fabrics for him and many others in the field of Haute Couture. In the 1960s, Sekers began to design and produce furnishing fabrics. In 1962 he was awarded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for Elegant Design (now known as the Prince Philip Designers Prize).
He sat on the boards of Glyndeborne, the Royal Opera House, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and the Royal Shakespeare Company,[3] and was an early supporter of the painter Percy Kelly.[4] He was an early patron of the portrait painter Judy Cassab and commissioned work by Oliver Messel, Graham Sutherland, John Piper and Suzanne Balkanyi. Sekers established and endowed a trust to convert a barn at his home at Rosehill, Whitehaven, into the Rosehill Theatre.[5][6]
He appeared as a "castaway" on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 22 April 1968.[7]
He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1955 for services to the fashion industry, and was knighted in 1965 for services to the arts.[2]
Sekers died on 23 June 1972, in Yugoslavia, while on holiday.
His portrait, a 1969 photograph by Godfrey Argent is in the National Portrait Gallery.[8]
References
- ^ Crosby, Margaret. "SEKERS: A STORY WOVEN IN SILK". The Whitehaven News. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ a b Crosby, Margaret (3 July 2009). "Sekers: A story woven in silk". Whitehaven News. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ Johnston, Dan. "Obituary: Sir Nicholas Sekers". Design: 75.
- ^ "The Man Who 'Discovered' Percy". Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ "Theatre history". Rosehill Theatre. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ Blackadder, Joe (2009). Rosehill: The story of a Theatre 1959–2009. Carlisle: Bookcase.
- ^ "Desert Island Discs - Castaway : Sir Nicholas Sekers". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ "Sir Nicholas Thomas Sekers". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
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