Born in 1907 in New York City, Alexander Girard was one of the leading
figures of postwar American design, along with his close friends and
colleagues George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames.The
primary focus of his wide-ranging oeuvre was textile design. Girard
created numerous fabrics for the Herman Miller Company, favouring
abstract forms and geometric patterns in a wide variety of colour
compositions. Many of his upholstery fabrics remain as timely and vital
as ever and are still manufactured and utilised by Vitra today.Having originally studied architecture, Girard made a name for himself
over his long career in the fields of furniture, exhibition, interior
and graphic design. Moreover, he was one of the world's most important
collectors of folk art. The objects and textiles acquired by Girard on
his extensive travels provided him with a rich source of inspiration and
ideas. When Rolf Fehlbaum, the son of Vitra's founding family, first
visited Alexander Girard and his wife Susan at their Santa Fe home in
1960, Fehlbaum wrote a letter to his parents telling of the deep
impression it had made on him, and describing it as the most fascinating
house he had ever seen in the United States.