Design innovator Todd Oldham will speak on legendary designer Alexander Girard, whose distinctive career is celebrated in a new monograph by Oldham and writer Kiera Coffee, at Pratt Institute at 6 PM on Tuesday, February 14, in Higgins Hall Center Section Auditorium at 61 St. James Places (corner of Lafayette) in Brooklyn. The lecture with Oldham is free and open to the public; however, seating priority will be given to Pratt students with valid ID at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public will be admitted at 5:50 p.m. should seating be available.
Oldham and Coffee created Alexander Girard (Ammo Books, 2011) as the ultimate tribute to the designer’s work and career. The 672-page book covers virtually every aspect of Girard’s distinctive career. As one of the most prolific and versatile 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.
Girard’s repertoire includes an incredible list of projects, including his bold, colorful, and iconic textile designs for Herman Miller (1952-1975), his typographic designs for La Fonda del Sol restaurant (1960), his celebrated retail store Textiles and Objects (1961), his own Girard Foundation (1962) that houses his extensive, personal collection of folk art from around the world, and his complete branding and environmental design for Braniff International Airways (1965).
Distinguished as an innovator of accessible design, Oldham is the founder of Todd Oldham Studio, a full-service design firm. Originally a New York fashion designer and host on MTV’s “House of Style,” Oldham’s career has evolved to include all areas of design from interior design, film, and photography, to furniture, graphic art, and product design. Oldham is also the author of several books, including Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life (Ammo Books, 2007), Kid Made Modern (Ammo Books, 2009), Hand Made Modern (Harper Design, 2005), Joan Jett (Ammo Books, 2010) and Wayne White: Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve (Ammo Books, 2009).
The Oldham lecture is an Anna and Joseph Syrop Annual Lecture endowed by the Selz Foundation, part of an annual series of lectures given by individuals in interior design.
Members of the press should contact Amy Aronoff to reserve seating. Event seating for press is limited and credentials will be required upon arrival.
From left to right: Design innovator Todd Oldham and his new book on legendary designer Alexander Girard (co-authored by Kiera Coffee). Photos: Courtesy of Todd Oldham Studios.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Aronoff at 718.636.3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu
ON-SITE MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Aronoff at 716.698.5919