Groundbreaking- The Past as Inspiration

Giovanni Battista Piranesi, an eighteenth-century designer of architecture, elaborate Interiors and exquisite furnishings, boldly combined historical elements to create innovative designs that still resonate today. Cooper-Hewitt invites a panel of designers to discuss how, like Piranesi, their imaginative and often irreverent use of historical motifs invigorates contemporary design. This panel features: Anna Sui, Fashion Designer Bill Diamond, Interior Designer, Diamond + Baratta Tony Baratta, Interior Designer, Diamond + Baratta Jessica Smith, Textile Designer, Domestic Element; Professor, Savannah College of Art and Design The panel is moderated by Ellen Lupton, Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Smithsonian, Cooper-Hewit National Design Museum