cristina buckley

If you follow my blog or know me, you know that I love all things Vera (Neumann). She was one of the most prolific designers and artists whose textiles helped inspire my love of collecting and fabric design. Awhile back I read that Vera was close friends with the artist Alexander Calder. They were such good friends that Calder surprised Vera with a very significant mobile for her home in 1960.

Vera subsequently created 3 scarf designs inspired by Calder. When I learned about this fascinating connection and then saw the images of Vera’s Calder designs I was obsessed with owning one (or two, or three!). I searched online but nothing turned up. And then last month on ebay I found the dress…

The dress features a “Calderesque” mobile design in his signature primary colors. It also includes the sweet handwritten message from Vera to her friend within the pattern:  Calder “I Love You”, Vera. I adore Vera’s personal homage to her friend and the melding of two of the twentieth century’s great modernist designers.

The photograph below shows the special occasion when Calder presented Vera with the Constellation mobile which was prominently displayed on the lawn of her house in the Hudson Valley. The house was designed by another legend; Marcel Breuer in 1953. Breuer was also a good friend of Vera and her husband George. He also designed Vera’s showrooms in New York.

Images above from “Vera The Art and Life of an Icon” by Susan Seid

I am still hoping to add one of these amazing scarves to my collection – keep your eye out for me!