Lecture Series: The Wonderful World of Design

In this exciting new series, an all-star roster of leading writers and scholars—including many longtime Speakers Annex favourites—will guide us on a dazzling tour through the history of modern design, each delivering a talk on a favourite object or space and the influence it’s had on a different field of design.

From a look at the evolution of the architecture of libraries with critic Christopher Hume to the alluring story of the “little black dress” with a leading fashion writer, we’ll survey the rich histories of these staples of modern design and look at stunning examples from innovative designers. We’ll examine the world we live in with a fresh new set of eyes!

Featuring:

• Architecture critic Christopher Hume on the architecture of libraries
• Author John Ota on the cultural history of the dining room
• Writer Julia Zarankin on the surprising history of the Russian Nesting Doll
• Fashion Critic Deirdre Kelly on the “Little Black Dress”
• Art Historian Barbara Isherwood on history’s most impressive and iconic beds
• New York Times-bestelling author David Sax on moleskin notebooks, vinyl records and the recent renaissance in “analog design”