Gere Kavanaugh (1929- ) has had a long a storied career as a designer, she was one of the first women to graduate from the Cranbrook Academy, as well as one of the first female designers employed at GM, dubbed the Damsels of Design. An all around designer her work was not limited to one field. Her designs include furniture and industrial designs as well as interior, graphic and exhibition design. After leaving GM Kavanaugh went to work for Victor Gruen in Los Angeles eventually leaving in 1964 to start her own design firm, Gere Kavanaugh/Designs were she continued to work for with and for big name clients. Her designs for fabrics and wallpaper are great examples of her playful and colorful approaches to design. Now in her 90s her work continues to be relevant with today's audiences, her designs have most recently been sold to CB2.

This Learning Lab collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
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