Maya Romanoff

Maya Romanoff (born Richard Romanoff;[1][2] June 30, 1941 – January 15, 2014) was an American artist, inventor, and director of the Maya Romanoff Corporation, a manufacturer of wall covering and surfacing materials.[3]

Joyce and Maya Romanoff (right)

Biography

Romanoff grew up in Lincoln Park, Chicago neighborhood. he was a student at the University of California, Berkeley during the 1960s. After graduation, he traveled to North Africa and Paris, where employment at the couture houses spurred his interest in textile design. The influence of Woodstock led to Romanoff producing fabrics that brought the technique of tie-dye into the realm of couture.[4]

The Maya Romanoff Corporation was established in 1969 and now has more than 60 employees. It is based in Skokie, Illinois.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, Romanoff continued to lead the company in partnership with his wife Joyce and family. He died on January 15, 2014, aged 72.[5]

Selected works

Some of Romanoff’s most acclaimed projects have showcased fabrics as fluid works of art, most notably: New York’s Museum of Contemporary Arts’ 1972 Fabric Vibrations; Bess’ Sunrise, the draping of the Chicago Sun-Times building in 120 ft (37 m) long ribbons of vibrant color; and the design of shimmering main stage curtain for The Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Chicago's Millennium Park.

He led the corporation into position as a prime surface coverings resource for top interior designers and architects. Installations include such high-profile projects as Nobu in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Los Angeles (opened September 2007), the Green Room at the Kodak Theatre for the 2007 Academy Awards, Tiffany & Co, the new Playboy Club in Los Angeles, Boucheron stores, Phantom of the Opera Theater in Los Angeles, special projects for Walt Disney, the palace of the Crown Prince of Dubai, Harrod's, American Girl Stores, etc.

Awards

Romanoff received many awards, including the ICON of Industry Scholarship Award, presented in honor of his lifetime achievements in November 2006 by NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network. Other prestigious awards include House & Garden's Designers' Best, The International Furnishings and Design Association’s Trailblazer Award, Hospitality Design’s Best of Show in Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Miami, commissions for one of a kind artworks with Dizine for the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum & Puerto Rican Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Home's Top 100 Designs, NEOCON’s Best of Show, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair's Editor's Award.

References
  1. "Maya Romanoff". The New York Times. January 26, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  2. Strahler, Steven R. (January 17, 2014). "Maya Romanoff, wallcovering king, dies at 72". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  3. Maya Romanoff Celebrates 40 Years of Design History with Tie Dye and Pink Socks by Linda Tischler. fastcompany.com; March 10, 2010; retrieved September 14, 2011.
  4. Megan, Graydon, Special to the (January 23, 2014). "Maya Romanoff, fabric designer, 1941-2014". Chicago Tribune.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. In Memoriam: Maya Romanoff
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