Design Research (The Book) Has Landed

Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes, by Jane Thompson and me, has finally arrived. To whet your appetite for its many charms, a slideshow at Co. featuring 11 of the hundreds of design icons Ben Thompson brought together and sold to to an admiring public at the iconic Cambridge, New York and San Francisco stores.

Marimekko dresses
D/R’s biggest claim to fame was introducing Finnish textile manufacturer Marimekko to the United States in 1959. The easy cotton dresses in bold, bright patterns became a craze, particularly after Jackie Kennedy was photographed in one on the cover of Sports Illustrated. For many women they were a liberation, since they looked good without benefit of girdle. Thompson and Marimekko founder Armi Ratia became fast friends; key ‘mekko designers like Annika Rimala and Maija Isola produced new patterns and silhouettes annually, and their arrival was an event in Harvard Square.

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By Alexandra Lange

Alexandra Lange is an architecture critic and author, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism, awarded for her work as a contributing writer for Bloomberg CityLab. She is currently the architecture critic for Curbed and has written extensively for Design Observer, Architect, New York Magazine, and The New York Times. Lange holds a PhD in 20th-century architecture history from New York University. Her writing often explores the intersection of architecture, urban planning, and design, with a focus on how the built environment shapes everyday life. She is also a recipient of the Steven Heller Prize for Cultural Commentary from AIGA, an honor she shares with Design Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Ellen McGirt.