Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999), a Parisian design visionary, was renowned for her experimental approach to materials in design, which left a lasting impact with her innovative concepts.
Charlotte Perriand. Сreative Сommons license.
Charlotte Perriand had an extensive career that spanned nearly eight decades. Among her renowned works is the “LC4 Chaise Longue,” co-designed with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. This piece is a fusion of ergonomic design and aesthetic appeal, and became a symbol of modernist design.
Chaise longue designed by Charlotte Perriand © Phot by Felix Speller.
Perriand’s distinct approach to material use was a defining aspect of her work. Her fascination with Japanese craftsmanship during her visit in the 1940s led her to incorporate bamboo into her designs, as seen in creations like her bamboo bookshelves. Her contributions extended to interior design, particularly with her forward-thinking kitchen concept. Prioritizing storage, she introduced ideas that challenged conventional layouts, paving the way for the modern modular kitchens prevalent today. In postwar Europe, Perriand designed compact university dorm rooms that seamlessly blended color, form, and composition while prioritizing both aesthetics and functionality.
Kitchen. Interior equipment. Charlotte Perriand, designer, Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, architectes © Bonney, Therese. 1925. Therese Bonney photographs, 1925-1937.
Bookshelves designed by Charlotte Perriand. Creative Commons license.
Charlotte Perriand (Française, 1903-1999): table et chaises, Grand Palais, 2008. Creative Commons license.
Elizabeth Friedlander (1903–1984) worked across a range of media from brochures and patterns to calligraphy and clandestine publishing, but she is most known as the first woman to design a typeface.
Elizabeth Friedlander.
Born in Berlin, Elizabeth was forced to exchange Germany for Italy in 1936, then went through an unsuccessful attempt to apply for an American visa. She eventually lived in London, before retiring to Kinsale, Ireland.
Elizabeth typeface.
In 1933, major Frankfurt type foundry Bauersche Giesserei asked Friedlander to create a font for them. She produced a typeface but was unable to name it Friedlander, as she had wished, because it was a recognizably Jewish name. The typeface was finally released in 1939 under the name Elizabeth, after Friedlander had already left Germany to escape the Second World War. After Germany, Friedlander moved to Italy and later to London where she worked with Jan Tschichold at Penguin Books doing pattern designs. Friedlander’s most famous works are perhaps the classic volumes of the 1950s and 60s—she designed for publishers like Penguin, Reader’s Digest and Mills & Boon.
Prisma pattern for Penguin music scores designed by Elizabeth Friedlander, 1954. Paint on paper. Collection of University College Cork. Photo: Sam Moore.
Cover of Penguin’s Progress Eleven publicity booklet & in-house magazine designed by Elizabeth Friedlander, 1950. Collection of niversity College Cork. Photo: Sam Moore.