Those with an interest in style, home design or simply a great “New York story” will want to visit “The World of D.D. and Leslie Tillett,” the first retrospective of the work of New York textile designers whose names are not really known outside the field.
Donald Albrecht, a curator of the exhibition that opened this week at the Museum of the City of New York, tells us in WAG’s current issue that sharing the Tilletts’ story not only is timely but fits into the museum’s mission.
“It’s also one of those stories about people who are largely unknown…. It’s been a very interesting story. They’re predominantly textile designers, but they also did fashion.”
He adds that their careers, which found them designing for everyone from New York-based interior designers such as Albert Hadley to the Kennedy White House, are inspiring. And they also tap into today’s focus on smaller companies and artisan efforts.
“They were very much very self-made people,” Albrecht says of the Tilletts.
The exhibit is expected not only to draw lots of attention from the design community but also to reach out to fashionistas and home-decor lovers who want to bring a bit of the Tilletts into their own wardrobes and homes. Plenty of Tillett-themed items will fill the museum’s gift shops.
The Museum of the City of New York is at 1220 Fifth Ave. For more details, visit mcny.org or call (212) 534-1672.