In thinking about the physical design of the exhibition space, we were led by the objects. The layout of the space itself dictated how objects could be arranged, with smaller pieces in the narrow gallery and full mannequins in the larger room at the back. Eleanor Lambert was a fashion publicist, working in a world of photographs and written communications. Naturally, we featured several paper objects such as magazines and letters as well as fashion designers’ press photographs. Placing these in the narrow gallery made sense, both thematically and spatially. We wanted to build the narrative of what Lambert did as a publicist in the narrow space, leading visitors to the back gallery where the designs of several of her clients were arranged in a way reminiscent of a fashion show.
We also collaborated very closely with the graphic design team, thinking about how we could incorporate exciting graphic elements, like Lambert’s favorite lipstick color and some of her own words, without overshadowing the objects. We developed a digital model of the gallery to allow us to mock up our layouts and test out ideas.
– Anna Andreeva and Sara Ludueña