Today I visited the Cooper Hewitt exhibit, A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes. Dorothy Lieves was an American textile designer and weaver who became prominent in the modern design world as well as in society as a whole. She brought textile design and its importance in all different aspects of fashion and design to the general audience. Before visiting this exhibit I had recognized the importance of design and designers in fashion, but never of the fabrics or textiles used and the thought and design that goes into making them. 

Lieves’ work became well-known and was used in many different aspects of life. Of course, it was used in high fashion and in clothing design. Several pieces were on display at the museum that showcased designs using her fabrics and textiles. One outfit I really liked was a tan dress with a large, pink, patterned scarf as the statement piece. Lieves’ textiles were also used in the making of the SS United States ship, where her work can be seen throughout the interior design of the ship, especially in the first class observation lounge. She also did work on ceramics and with the American Red Cross Arts and Skills Division.

Because Lieves’ designs were so versatile, they gave her worldwide recognition and fame. She was featured in magazines and in television interviews. My favorite part of the museum was one small section which showcased magazine covers of the time and showed how some of her pieces were inspired by the fashion and beauty standards shown in the photoshoot and of the time period. The magazine was titled Photoplay and the article was titled the Newest Siren. The cover showcases a woman posing in a black and white shot which highlights her dark, silky hair. Lieves used this silky hairstyle as inspiration for a piece called Dobeckmun Dazzle, which utilized laminated aluminum yarn to represent the silkiness shown in the hair. This also shows how versatile the art of textile design can be-something I never recognized before visiting this museum. 

Lieves was certainly ahead of her time-she was beyond successful for a woman of her time and overall and I am grateful I was able to visit the exhibit on her and learn more about what goes into the creation of the textiles and fabrics used in design and its importance on our world today.