Take a deep dive into the creative process and extraordinary designs of midcentury designer Alexander Girard (1907-1993). Join designer Todd Oldham and writer Kiera Coffee in a discussion around their new publication, Alexander Girard: Let the Sun In (Phaidon, 2024), with Susan Brown,  Associate Curator and Acting Head of Textiles. Brown will highlight Cooper Hewitt’s extensive holdings of Girard textiles and objects, and the ways in which his sensational colors and patterns are still inspiring designers and design lovers today. 

A limited number of signed copies of the book will be available for purchase from 5:00 pm on Thursday, November 21. 

 SPEAKERS

Todd Oldham is a photographer, author, and designer. Widely regarded as one of America’s top fashion designers in the 1990s, Oldham has since authored more than 20 books about artists and various design subjects, including Best of Nest (Phaidon, 2020).

Kiera Coffee is a New York-based writer and has spent more than a decade writing about design. She has worked for publications such as Interiors, Nest, and Martha Stewart Living amongst others. 

 

Susan Brown is Associate Curator and Acting Head of Textiles at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, where she oversees a global collection of over 27,000 textiles produced over 2,000 years. She is the co-curator, with Alexa Griffith Winton, of A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes, and co-editor of the accompanying book, published by Yale University Press. Her past exhibitions for the museum include Extreme Textiles: Designing for High Performance; Fashioning Felt; Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay; Scraps: Fashion, Textiles and Creative Reuse; Contemporary Muslim Fashions; and Suzie Zuzek for Lilly Pulitzer: The Prints that Made the Fashion Brand.

ACCESSIBILITY AND WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Format: The program will begin with a brief welcome, then the speakers will engage in a moderated conversation. It will end with an optional Q&A with the audience.   
  • About the space: This program will take place in Cooper Hewitt’s Lecture Room on the ground floor of the museum. It is fully wheelchair accessible. Theater-style seating is available. There is an accessible restroom on the same floor. Read more about  accessibility at Cooper Hewitt. 
  • Accommodations: The program will have live CART captioning. If we can provide additional services to support your participation, email us at CHEducation@si.edu or let us know when you register. Please make your request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least ten days before the program date.  
  • Recording: The program will be recorded and posted on Cooper Hewitt’s YouTube channel within two weeks. 

Please note: While general tickets are sold out, a few member tickets are still available. Members, please log in to view and purchase member tickets. Not yet a member? Join our community today!