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For Spring/Summer 2016, Mansur Gavriel is broadening its material palette with several Maharam textiles designed by Alexander Girard.
Departing from classic leather, Mansur Gavriel’s decision to bring these textiles back into fashion again speaks to the enduring power of Alexander Girard’s vision. Designed over a sixteen-year period spanning the 1950s and 60s, Lanalux, Mikado and Toostripe now accentuate four bags debuted September 14th at the Swiss Institute in SoHo. The new styles—including a flat, moon and volume clutch as well as a circle bag—adorned models dressed in one-off garments made from the same materials as part of the label’s first official New York Fashion Week presentation. This limited-edition capsule collection will be available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman on March 1.
Maharam has re-editioned twenty Girard designs to date as part of its ongoing Textiles of the 20th Century™ series. Dedicated to faithfully reissuing the work of great multidisciplinary designers past, the series connects multiple design movements—from the Wiener Werkstätte to the Bauhaus to midcentury modernism and beyond—through the designs of Anni Albers, Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton, and Gio Ponti, among others.
Interestingly, Girard’s textiles are among the most challenging to reissue as his command of the medium favored complex constructions and techniques, an intensity and variety of color, and unusual yarns. To ensure an accurate re-edition, Maharam works closely with Girard Studio, which was founded by the Girard family to preserve and promote the archive and design legacy of Alexander Girard.
Lanalux (1970) uses a three-ply fine micron wool yarn to achieve a rich homespun texture, Mikado (1954) features a stylized floral motif set against a bold checkerboard background, and Toostripe (1965) emphasizes graphic chromatic vibration. Collectively, these three textiles represent the breadth and diversity of Girard’s oeuvre. A highly prolific designer who was unhampered by contemporary dictums of style and taste, Girard produced over 300 textiles during his twenty-one years as the founding design director of Herman Miller’s textile division. The resulting body of work is staggering not only in sheer volume and creativity, but due to its fundamental qualities of beauty and usefulness, remains relevant today.
About Alexander Girard
Trained as an architect but proficient in nearly all design disciplines, Alexander Girard (1907-1993) had a profound impact on 20th century visual culture. In addition to his designs for Herman Miller, Girard is known for his all-encompassing work on the Good Design exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1954), La Fonda del Sol restaurant in New York City’s Time Life building (1960), and the redesign of Braniff Airlines (1965). An avid collector of folk art, Girard donated roughly 106,000 pieces to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, where he designed the permanent exhibition, Multiple Visions: A Common Bond.
About Mansur Gavriel
Mansur Gavriel is a New York City based design label founded by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel in the spring of 2012. The brand is dedicated to sourcing the highest quality Italian leather and age-old craftsmanship in the Veneto region of Italy. Today it is sold by approximately 100 retailers globally, including Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Colette, Dover Street Market, and Opening Ceremony. Mansur Gavriel launched its own e-commerce in 2014 and is the recipient of the 2015 CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessory Design.
Lanalux by Alexander Girard, 1970 Specifications
Width: 54" (137 cm)
Colors: 7
Content: 100% Wool
Mikado by Alexander Girard, 1954 Specifications
Width: 54" (137 cm)
Colors: 3
Content: 92% Wool, 8% Nylon
Toostripe by Alexander Girard, 1965 Specifications
Width: 54" (137 cm)
Colors: 3
Content: 92% Wool, 8% Nylon