Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors
In-Person Exhibit Tour
Join Royal Oak for an in-person NYC exhibition tour as we explore the intersection of fashion and interior decoration in Designing Women: Fashion Creators and Their Interiors.
This unique exhibition celebrates the profound influence of female designers in both disciplines, beginning in the late 19th century with the founding of couture houses in Paris, London, and New York. Concurrently, female innovators in interior decoration made the profession a viable career path on both sides of the Atlantic.
The “great lady decorators” of the Belle Époque appropriated the refined aesthetics of 18th century French interiors, while female couturières embraced updated ideals of comfort and luxury. By the interwar years, a range of styles for female designers and fashion became popular—from sleek Art Moderne to bohemian eclecticism. Each fashion designer in this exhibition is represented by at least one garment or accessory, drawn solely from The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection, and an image from their home or workshop.
We will see luxurious, professionally crafted couture salons, such as Coco Chanel’s sumptuous Paris pied-à-terre and Anna Sui’s whimsical New York apartment, as well as modest, self-decorated ateliers and homes. On our tour, we will explore how female fashion creators created magical interiors and examine the impact of female designers on both industries.
