Fabric Nation
Textile buffs are no strangers to the work of Leslie and D. D. Tillett, who once counted Jacqueline Kennedy and top local decorators Sister Parish and Albert Hadley among their clientele. On Thursday, June 14, at 6 p.m., the Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave., at 103rd St.; 212-534-1672), in conjunction with the New York Design Center, hosts a benefit for its upcoming exhibition, “The World of D.D. and Leslie Tillett.” Opening October 17, the retrospective surveys the work of the eponymous husband-and-wife textile-design team and includes hand-printed fabrics, clothing, and drawings. New York design editor Wendy Goodman and Maria-Cristina Rueda and Bill Hilgendorf of Uhuru Design are the featured speakers; Donald Albrecht, MCNY’s Curator of Architecture and Design, will make an introduction. Tickets start at $125. To register, visit boxoffice.mcny.org.
O.C.D. Moviemaking
The “Persol Magnificent Obsessions: 30 Stories of Craftsmanship in Film” exhibition, the second in a three-part series, opens Thursday, June 14, at the Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35th Ave., at 37th St., Astoria; 718-777-6888). The show, which runs through August 19, examines immersion in the context of film—as experienced by actors, directors, screenwriters, and costumers, among others. The rare artifacts include French writer Michel Folco’s album of discarded photo-booth images, which inspired the character Nino in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, as well as detailed colored charts from director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) and paintings by actor-director Ed Harris, who played Jackson Pollock. General admission is $12.
Old Flames
In March of last year, the history department at the Fashion Institute of Technology hosted numerous events to mark the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. To continue the commemoration, 26 students in the M.F.A. illustration program at F.I.T., in collaboration with the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, contributed visual works to the “Triangle Factory Fire: Then, Since, Now” exhibition, opening Wednesday, June 13, at the Museum at F.I.T. (Seventh Ave. at 27th St.; 212-217-4558). The show, which runs through July 7, features gouache, oil paints, clay sculpture, collage, and digital media. Admission is free.
Real World Casting
In his 1971 book Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change, Victor J. Papanek stated, “Design, if it is to be ecologically responsible and socially responsive, must be revolutionary and radical.” That idea inspired a competition whose goal was to promote social design: anything that addressed everyday problems, needs, or environmental issues. Backing organizations included the Victor J. Papanek Foundation, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, and the winning products covered everything from biodegradable sanitary pads to an entirely self-sufficient city. See the four winning projects, along with thirteen finalists, on view in “Design for the Real World-Redux,” opening Monday, June 18, at White Box Gallery (329 Broome St., nr. Chrystie St.; 212-714-2347); the works will remain on display through July 15. Admission is free.