设计领域的女性

For Australian-born photographer and author, Robyn Lea, there are some empty seats at the design table. Seats which were made by and for women. “I believe that women still remain the unsung heroines of art and design,” she says. Getting her start as a Milanese photographer’s assistant in her late teens, the multi-hyphenate has travelled the world as a photographer and writer, curating her own exhibitions and compiling a series of books whose subjects range from Georgia O’Keeffe to Jackson Pollock, with her latest book,A Room of Her Own: Inside the Homes & Lives of Creative Womenleading her to the brilliant mind behind maximalist fashion brand,La Double J.Harnessing their shared passion for elevatingwomen in the world of art and design, La Double J founder J.J. Martin and Lea have teamed up in a new collaboration that puts the design world’s preeminent talents front and centre. EntitledWomen in Design,the portraiture series spotlights nine women with extensive credentials to their names, from Milanese design royalty inNina Yasharto Swedish jack-of-all trades, Tekla Severin. The series saw the women photographed with their presentations duringMilan’s 2022 Salone del Mobile, donned in La Double J.“Meeting and photographing the women was an absolute career highlight,” reflects Lea, who travelled to Milan from her home in Melbourne. “​​Collaborating and connecting with other women has always been important to me: whether they be soul-sisters, mentors, muses, matriarchs or mother-figures.”Lea’s desire to champion the women at the forefront of design—be it the veterans or trailblazing newcomers—is central to her pursuit of equal recognition for females in creative spaces. “There is no doubt in my mind that women see the world differently to men and that female photographers shoot differently to their male counterparts, she says. It is, of course, not better nor worse, but there should be an equal balance in the world of both perspectives. And we still have a long way to go before that is the case.”Lea and Martin’s collaboration is certainly a major step in the right direction, rare it is for a fashion brand to collaborate with a photographer in a series focusing solely on women in the realms of art and design. Lea’s lens aptly captures the creativity and intelligence central to the contributions of these designers, all whilst offering insights into the women behind the work. “I’m absolutely determined to do what I can as a photographer and writer to help share their stories.”Bethan Gray, creative director of Bethan Gray DesignsWinner of a plethora of industry awards, includingElle Decoration’s Best British Designer and Best British Tableware Designer,Bethan Gray’sphilosophy centres on collaboration. Drawing upon her Rajasthani heritage, Gray works closely with artisans and craftspeople from all over the world to tell cultural stories through her furniture and homewares.Bethan Laura Wood, artist and designerWith a catalogue of creative pursuits to her name,Bethan Laura Woodapproaches her vocation with fearlessness and eccentricity. From jewellery to ceramics, glass, and lighting, Wood draws inspiration from her location, often collaborating with local craftspeople to create vibrant pieces that utilise high-wattage colour.Draga Obradovic, co-founder of Draga & AurelHaving traversed the design world as a painter, textile designer, and now one half of the multidisciplinary design studio she runs with husband, Aurel K. Basedow,Draga Obradovicis, in the words of Robyn Lea, one of the rising stars of the design world.Laura Sartori Rimini, architect and co-founder of Studio PeregalliLauded as the embodiment of the slow-design movement,Laura Sartori Rimini’sapproach to architecture and interior design has longevity at its core. She honours artisanal techniques and traditions, and educates her clients along the way, says Lea. I find Laura’s world, visually and philosophically, utterly compelling.Nina Yashar, founder of Nilufar GalleryOne of Italy’s most renown gallerists,Nina Yasharhas been at the forefront of art and design since the inception of her gallery in 1979. She feels that if she wasn’t creating, she’d very quickly become depressed, which is an experience that I very much relate to. Creativity is the fuel that fills her tank, and it shows in everything she does, Lea says.Patricia Urquiola, architect and founder of Studio UrquiolaWith talent spanning the architecture, interior, and product design arenas,Patricia Urquiolais one of Spain’s most prolific creative forces. Collaborating with brands from the likes of Louis Vuitton to Alessi, Urquiola is, in the words of Robyn Lea, a design legend...whose work I [have] admired from afar for decades.Sara Ricciardi, founder and creative director of Sara Ricciardi StudioAt only 32 years of age,Sara Ricciardiis already making waves in the design world. Jumping between mediums and disciplines, Ricciardi’s work spans from product design to interior decoration, with gallery installations and performances thrown in for good measure.Tekla Severin, colourist, designer, and photographerDubbed one of the most influential people in design by AD Germany,Tekla Severinutilises colour as a springboard for her creative pursuits. Ranging from interior architecture to product design, “Tekla’s work has been able to reach a large audience through the new media, which serves as an evolving folio of work, trumpeted to all corners of the globe,” Lea muses.Ana Milena Hernandez, co-founder and creative director of MasquespacioWith a slew of awards to her name,Ana Milena Hernandezis a powerhouse in Spain’s art and design worlds. Having put her vibrant, colour-injected spin on a number of interior spaces the world over, Hernandez is now adding another string to her bow in the form of Mas Creations, a product design branch of her company Masquespacio.Want moreVogue Living? Sign up to theVogue Livingnewsletterfor your weekly dose of design news and interiors inspiration.