Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard

USA, 1907 - 1993

"Art is only art when it is synonymous with living." - Alexander Girard

One of the most prolific mid-20th century designers, Girard’s work spanned many disciplines including textile design, graphic design, typography, illustration, furniture design, interior design, product design, exhibit design, and architecture.

Born in New York City and raised in Florence, Girard was educated in Europe as an architect. He began practicing architecture and interior design in the late 1920s. Girard developed a friendship with Charles Eames in the 1940s when the two men realized they had coincidently designed almost identical modern radio cabinets and were both experimenting with plywood chairs.

Alexander Girard became director of design for Herman Miller's textile division in 1952, a time when fabrics, especially in the office, tended toward the utilitarian, drab and pattern-less. “People got fainting fits if they saw bright, pure color,” Girard commented at the time. At Herman Miller, Girard had the freedom to express himself. With primary colors, concise geometric patterns, and a touch of humor, he injected joy and spontaneity into his designs. During his tenure, he created over 300 textile designs, wallpapers, prints, furniture, and objects. Girard's work with Herman Miller continued until 1973.

Girard's reputation soared in 1959, when his colourful, whimsical interior design of the La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York electrified the public. He designed the entire experience for the restaurant—interior, graphics, table settings and staff uniforms. In the mid 1960s Girard designed more than 17,000 different items for Braniff International Airways—from logos to uniforms to lounge furniture.

Girard's risky, sometimes iconoclastic fabrics were inspired not by a vision of the future but by a love of international folk art. His passion for what he called “toys” led him around the globe, amassing a collection of roughly 106,000 pieces. These colorful, whimsical objects inspired him, as his designs continue to inspire us.