I first learned about Saul Bass in a design class at my Master’s. I was haunted by the things he designed and the way he did them. My teacher told us that he used to do everything by hand – meaning, without the use of a computer. For me, that’s amazing but not truly a thing of the past. My mother used to do the same when she got her degree in Graphic Design. I remember her portfolio being made with newspaper and magazine pieces. His designs look very unsteady but the colors are normally very warm. He was best known for doing a lot of movie posters.
Tom Ford is a visionary. Besides having worked in Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent as a creative director, he launched is own brand, exclusively for men, and then extending to beauty, eyewear and accessories. My previous glasses were Tom Ford and love at first sight. Too big for their time but they will eventually become vintage. He also directed an Oscar nominated movie A Single Man.
Stefan Sagmeister has been in my eye watch ever since that poster. He masters the art of design and has an extensive body of work to showcase. Literally. He’s inventive, innovative, groundbreaking and looks a little bit on the cucu side – which is awesome. He’s edgy and takes chances and, even though he can exaggerate, he’s the author of some of the most greatest pieces of graphic design I’ve ever seen.
Marc, as I like to call him, owns Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs brands. He was Louis Vuitton’s director for over fifteen years and has a research project called “Protect the Skin You’re In” to raise awareness for melanoma. His designs are very dramatic and minimalistic with a sort of theatrical vibe.
Charles and Ray Eames were one of the most iconic furniture designers of the twentieth century. They are authors of some of the world’s most iconic chairs, that nowadays live in millions of houses. I always connect their designs to american houses from the 40’s and 50’s. Very well decorated, a lot of wood and very few colors.
You may know Paul Rand from IBM, Ford, ABC, UPS and many, many other famous logos that have been around for years. He was always ahead of it’s time and a so-called modernist. He was one of the people responsible for introducing design to the corporate world and make them understand its importance. Still a battle today.
Starck is a famous product designer known for his irreverence. He brings practicality and minimalism to a whole other level. He’s a democratic designer and ecologist, that wants to give the masses great design for a lower cost. I actually recently bought one of his own and most famous designs – and personally my favourites – the ghost chair, where I’m actually sitting on right now.
Coco Chanel needs no introductions. The icon of fashion, luxury, classicism, Chanel is responsible for popularizing the acceptance of a sportive, casual chic look as the feminine standard in the post-World War I era.
Miuccia Prada reinvents fashion and thinks it has to be inspired by art. Where else can great designers inspire themselves? The way she combines fabrics, patterns and styles from different time periods is beyond amazing to look at.
Last but not least, Paula Scher who lives at the beautiful intersection of typography and illustration. Most of her designs are the perfect combination between the two and result in an epitome of color, typography and shapes you don’t quite recognize or even a complete mess you totally understand. She is the definition of talent and really good at what she does. I was recently told, when passing by, she did the redesign of the Public Theater brand here in New York City.