September 12, 2023
THE DESIGN LIBRARY LONDON HAS EXPANDED!
April 18, 2023
Design Library Artist-in-Residence Barbara Bloom Opens in Cologne
March 30, 2023
Our Giorgio Taroni
January 1, 2023
New Year 2023
December 6, 2022
The Design Library Announces Artist-In-Residence
January 1, 2022
New Year 2022
August 4, 2021
The Design Library Acquires the Howard Asher Archive
July 21, 2020
KosmosNow!™ is Launched
July 6, 2020
THE DESIGN LIBRARY LONDON HAS LANDED
June 16, 2020
Design Library Post Covid Reopening Procedures
April 23, 2020
COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO
March 17, 2020
Virtual Options From The Design Library
February 11, 2020
The Design Library Acquires the Rue Royale Collection
June 11, 2019
Alexa Chung at the MET Ball
March 26, 2019
The Design Library Announces Arrival of the Spay-Lehr Collection
June 1, 2018
The Design Library Opens New Contemporary Wing
May 1, 2017
THE DESIGN LIBRARY LAUNCHES SATELLITE™ --THE OPEN ACCESS COLLECTION OF KOSMOS
March 14, 2017
AFRICAN COLLECTION LANDED BY THE DESIGN LIBRARY
March 7, 2017
Discussion & Book Signing Held at Boston Design Center
December 15, 2016
Patterns: Inside the Design Library Launched in London
December 7, 2016
Patternbank Book of the Month
November 14, 2016
Creative Review: Where Do You Look For Inspiration?
November 3, 2016
Patterns Celebrated at Design Within Reach
November 1, 2016
PATTERNS Flies First Class on BA
October 19, 2016
Panel & Launch Party at Beacon Hill Showroom, D&D Building NYC
October 18, 2016
The Wall Street Journal Identifies "Design Books You’ll Want to Cut Up and Frame"
October 14, 2016
Quintessence Visits the Design Library
October 10, 2016
Publisher's Weekly "Top 10" Fall 2016 Adult Announcements: Art, Architecture & Photography
October 3, 2016
PATTERNS: Inside the Design Library Published
September 29, 2016
These Patterns Aren't Just Beautiful, They're Subconsciously Shaping Your Decisions Every Day
September 27, 2016
Where Do Patterns Come From? Fast Company Answers: The Design Library
September 26, 2016
1stdibs: Required Reading
September 12, 2016
Wallpaper* Style Findings: Patterns
August 19, 2016
Dwell Magazine: The Design Library is New York's True Textile Mecca
January 20, 2016
18th Century Paper Impressions Landed
January 20, 2016
Hodge Sellers Portfolio Archive Acquired
January 20, 2016
Girardet Freres Archive
June 9, 2015
Design Library London Expands
February 27, 2014
The Design Library Acquires Giorgio Taroni Archive
October 10, 2013
Abraham Paper Impression Collection
October 10, 2013
Giorgio Correggiari Archive
September 4, 2013
Design Library Featured in The Wall Street Journal Magazine Fall Fashion Issue
May 7, 2013
Chantal Geskoff & Michelle Berthet Studio Collections
May 7, 2013
Francesco Ortenzi Studio Collection
January 2, 2013
Cheney Brothers Collection
September 13, 2010
Bianchini-Férier Archive

THE DESIGN
LIBRARY

Francesco Ortenzi Studio Collection

Our most recent acquisition, the Francesco Ortenzi Studio Collection, comes to us from Como, Italy.

Francesco Ortenzi's company was established in Rome in 1948 under the name of Farkas-Ortenzi. During the early years the principals of the studio were Maria and Terzo Ortenzi, together with Paolo Farkas, Maria's husband.

In 1955 the family moved to Como - famous all over the world as the home of silk - where they relocated the studio. That same year Francesco Ortenzi, the youngest of Ortenzi siblings, joined the company.

Those were the days of the textile boom and the firm posted a significant increase in Italy and worldwide. The Farkas-Ortenzi design collections were esteemed by renowned fabric manufacturers and suppliers; among them the Italian firms of Jermi, Scacchi, Ratti, Mantero, Bellotti, Etro and many others; the French houses of Leonard, Ungaro, Marnard; the American companies of Victoria's Secret and Surfline, as well as several Japanese firms.

As many as 30 designer/artists worked in the studio and new talent arrived continually which gave a contemporary, constantly evolving feature to the portfolio.

Those incredible years lasted until the 1980s when Terzo Ortenzi left the company and Paolo Farkas and Maria Ortenzi moved to New York. From then on the firm was permanently renamed as Francesco Ortenzi.

The pace of work was tremendous as the studio operated in the fashion industry directly with dressmakers (Byblos, Armani, Ferré, Missoni), or through converters. The company grew to serve more industries; adding swimwear to clothing at first, then scarves and interior design, including ceramics and tableware.

The fabric design business continued its work until 2008, when Francesco Ortenzi closed the studio and retired, to engage full time in his hobby of sculpture.

We are thrilled to have this body of work at The Design Library.