New Hotels for Global Nomads
A provocative exhibition that spotlights contemporary hotels as the crossroads of our connected yet nomadic society and underscores their role in cutting-edge architecture and design.
The modern hotel not only offers a place to sleep, but, through its design, amenities and sense of theater, it also provides its guests with the ultimate escapist experience. Examining over thirty real and conceptual examples, and complemented by an authoritative text and stunning photography, this book provides a compelling answer to the question, "What is the purpose of the modern hotel?" From The Venetian in Las Vegas, an outstanding example of the gambling capital's new generation of scenographic hotels, to the sail-shaped, "seven-star" Burj-al-Arab fantasy in Dubai, the designs are fully explored.

Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum >>
New Hotels for Global Nomads by Donald Albrecht >>

Russel Wright: Creating American Lifestyle
The first major retrospective of the great 20th-century industrial designer who pioneered “easier living” for the middle class.
Russel Wright (1904-76) was arguably the most influential U.S. designer of the early twentieth century. A visionary artist who pioneered the fusion of modern design and domestic practicality in his household wares, Wright brought his innovative design to the general U.S. public and changed the face of the American household.

Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum >>
Russel Wright: Creating American Lifestyle >>
Good Design Is for Everyone: Designs for Living >>
Collectors Encyclopedia of Russel Wright >>

Adrian: American Glamour
Gilbert Adrian was one of the most quintessentially American of 20th-century designers as well as a Hollywood costumer of great renown, who dressed Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer, Katharine Hepburn, and Joan Crawford for the screen to memorable effect. His fashion designs, no less dramatic, united a midcentury modernist sensibility with an extraordinarily engineered technique that continues to inspire designers to this day. This retrospective will depict both aspects of his career. Adrian’s sketches and photographs of the period will accompany his costumes for MGM as well as the most important examples of his fashion work.

Metropolitan Museum of Art web site >>
Gowns by Adrian : The MGM Years 1928-1941 by H. Gutner >>