Alexander Girard became the design director of Herman Miller’s textile division in 1952, at a time when fabrics, especially in the office, tended toward the utilitarian, dull, and patternless. “People would have a fit if they saw bright, pure colors,” Girard commented at the time.

At Herman Miller, Girard had the freedom to express himself. With primary colors, concise geometric patterns, and a touch of humor, he injected joy and spontaneity into his projects. During his tenure, he created over 300 textile designs in thousands of colorways, wallpapers, prints, furniture, and objects. Girard’s work with Herman Miller continued until 1973 and included making the Action Office system more interesting with a series of decorative panel fabrics.

Born in New York and raised in Florence, Girard was educated in Europe as an architect. He began practicing architecture and interior design in the late 1920s. The exhibition he curated for the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1949 — “For Modern Living” — celebrated post-war modernism. Girard developed a friendship with Charles Eames in the 1940s, when the two realized they had coincidentally designed nearly identical modern radio cabinets, and both experimented with plywood chairs.

 

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