Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard

Alexander Girard, (* 1907 in New York City/USA; † 1993), was, alongside his close friends George Nelson and Charles and Ray Eames, one of the decisive figures of post-war American design. The focus of his broad oeuvre was on textile design: As head of the Herman Miller Company's textile division, Girard designed a multitude of textiles that reflect his love of festive colours and patterns. He favoured abstract and geometric forms, typically put together in bright constellations of colours. Alexander Girard's upholstery fabrics have lost none of their charm, and a range of classic Girard designs such as Quatrefoil, Names or Toostripe Orange are included in the Vitra and Maharam "Textiles of the 20th century" cushion collection. Having originally studied architecture, Girard made a name for himself over his long career in the fields of furniture, exhibition and interior design as well as in the graphic arts. On his extended travels, he avidly collected textiles from all over the world, which furnished him with a source of inspiration and ideas. In 1993, the final year of his life, he bequeathed these holdings to the Vitra Design Museum Collection along with the contents of his studio (hundreds of drawings, prototypes and textile samples).