Life by Design

A kaleidoscopic account of the midcentury atelier of d.d. and Leslie Tillett, whose expressive fabrics once defined the interiors of America’s most influential tastemakers

Life by Design is an intimate, visually rich celebration of the House of Tillett, the legendary American fabric atelier long cherished by in-the-know designers. At its heart is the remarkable story of founders d.d. and Leslie Tillett, a visionary creative couple who rank among design history’s greatest duos.

The Tilletts’ creative bond propelled them to challenge the cool restraint of modernism with color-drenched exuberance and expressive, hand-driven craft. Working from their Upper East Side carriage house, they attracted a stylish and powerful fanbase. Their well-heeled clientele included the era’s leading decorators and style icons – from Sister Parish and Bunny Mellon to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who entrusted the duo with fabrics for the Kennedy White House bedroom.

Life by Design is an invitation to explore the Tilletts’ extraordinary world. Drawing on never-before-seen photographs, rare correspondence, family archives, artworks, and dazzling examples of custom Tillett fabrics, the book offers a vibrant portrait of two artists who lived their work with uncommon intensity. Featuring engaging text by design historian Leigh Wishner and annotated with warmth and wit by the Tilletts’ youngest son, Seth, this sumptuous volume immerses readers in a creative universe where imagination, intimacy, and creativity shaped an unforgettable legacy.

Leigh Wishner is a design historian specializing in modern textiles, fashion, and interiors. She has worked in the antiques and museum field for nearly three decades, holding positions at the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Leigh received her B.A. in Art History and Archaeology from Barnard College, and her M.A. in Decorative Arts and Material Culture from Bard Graduate Center. Her passion for the entwined subjects of twentieth-century fabrics, apparel, and furnishings is shared extensively through lectures, essays, publications, and social media. In 2023, she contributed to the multi-award-winning A Dark, A Light, A Bright: The Designs of Dorothy Liebes (Yale University Press/Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum), the first major publication devoted to this pioneering American weaver.

Seth Tillett is an artist and designer working in a variety of disciplines, principally digital art and motion picture, but with a deep history in theater, film, and performance. Seth has created stage sets for theater, opera, and dance; lighting and public installations; as well as graphics, textiles, and augmented and virtual realities. Seth is the son of Tillett founders d.d. and Leslie Tillett.