This past weekend was a terrific Cynthia Rowley/Johnson & Johnson extravaganza at Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Cynthia’s show at Lincoln Center was downright gorgeous, with stunning skirts perforated with geometric shapes and cabochon-covered fabrics with transparent cardigans and gauzy stockings. I sat behind Rebecca Romjin and Alan Cumming, which was fun, despite being...

  Two significant tools for American designers seeking to make their design process more sustainable have recently been announced. The first tool, which hopefully will have broad and positive implications for manufacturers of outdoor industry goods, is Eco-Index . Basically an assessment tool which evaluates a product’s environmental impact, Eco-Index allows manufacturers to measure six...

During a visit to Cooper-Hewitt about a year and a half ago, West-coast felt-maker Janice Arnold was intrigued by the form of the museum’s conservatory. Its domed roof and iron mullions resemble the radiating struts of the framework of a yurt—the circular tent dwelling of the nomadic tribes who first created felt. Next week, Arnold...

Isabel and Ruben Toledo. Photo: Karl Lagerfeld What are two things that Maria Cornejo, Narciso Rodriguez and Isabel Toledo have in common? Well, all three designers are personal favorites of First Lady Michelle Obama, who personally chose to wear their garments during President Obama’s campaign. Toledo even created the outfit the First Lady wore to...