10 Influential Women In Design - International Women's Day

Happy hundredth birthday to International Women's Day! Here's some of SnOOps favourite women in design. 
This image is of (the wonderful) iconic American architect, planner and teacher Denise Scott Brown in 1966 when
 she was (literally) learning from Las Vegas. SnOOped over at Alice Rawsthorn Facebook page. 

These days Ilse Crawford is best known as the designer behind Soho House in New York and founding head of Department for Man and Well-Being at the world-renowned Design Academy Eindhoven. Before that she was the pioneering magazine editor, at British Elle Decoration. Ilse brings integrity and humanity into design. Her pioneering vision in combining modern living, emotion and beautiful photography to interior magazines is what made me fall in love and discover the work I do now. She is one of my BIGGEST design heros. Her design values in being fascinated by what drives us, brings us together and ultimately makes us feel alive is SnOOp gospel.  AWSOME Ilse is always found wearing heels that even fashionistas envy. 

Spanish-born, Milan-based Patricia Urquiola is one of the most active and exciting designers working today. Trained as an architect she has designed some of the most poetic and practical furniture of the 21st-Century. Her designs for B&B Italia, Foscorini, Flo, Moroso, Cappellini, Kartell and Knoll are just a few super-brands under her belt.  

Ray Eames is the wife of Charles. I don't think one designer on the planet today can say they haven't been influenced by their work?  Charles and Ray designed some of the most important examples of 20th century furniture, they also created ingenious children's toys, puzzles, films, and architecture. SnOOp hopes one day to feature the Eames House.   After reading An Eames Primer , by grandson Eames Demetrios, it was obvious Ray was the rock and strength to the Eames family and studio. 

Alice Rawsthorn is the Design Critic of the International Herald Tribune and a columnist for the New York Times. This is the lady you want writing about you and your designs. From 2001 to 2006, Alice was Director of the Design Museum in London and, before then, an award-winning journalist with the Financial Times, working as a foreign correspondent in Paris and pioneering the FT’s coverage of the creative industries. Alice over the years has been responsible for introducing cutting edge design concepts into mainstream press, including social design, critical design, design for public services and eco-design to mention a few. She sports the best bob in the business. 

The fact is this very cool and super-stylish lady Rossana Orlandi is the woman that can make an up-and-coming designer into a household name. She is owner of Milan design store Spazio Rossana Orlandi - an annual highlight of the Milan fair for editors, buyers and trend-forecasters who find it makes for a somewhat more relaxed viewing environment than the packed halls of the Salone itself. Rossana makes it her mission to discover all that's new and original in the world of design .

 If you have a design brand you want to launch internationally or you're a serious design journalist then Judy Dobias, Managing Director, of Camron PR is a very important lady you need to know. . Judy's clients come from many fields: design, interiors, art, food, fashion, publishing, travel and luxury.  You could say her agency has design in it's bloodstream and retail on the brain. She has a cracking Canadian accent and is always super lovely to chat too.

Interior designer Kelly Wearstler is queen of colour and has an enchanting take on luxury lifestyle. Her sunny, funny remastering of mid-century modernism has redefined West Coast style. She has become one of America's most influential designers and now the fashion world are embracing her. Kelly's more-is-more vibrant style has overlapped into her fashion taste and she is about to launch her own Weastler Ready-To-Wear collection.

Want your product, book or magazine to express the mood, feeling and emotion you think it deserves then you 
need to book photographer Ditte Isager. Her clients include Anthropologie, Gourmet Traveller, Martha Stewart, Gordan Ramsay, Vogue Living and British ELLE Decoration. 

One of the worlds most renowned trend-forecasters Li Edelkoort analyses moods, fashions and feelings and translates them into trends. As an industry consultant, she has a huge impact on what the products of tomorrow will be. Li's magazines, View on Colour, INview and Bloom have been highly influential in the creative industries for nearly two decades. More recently, her work has evolved into the realms of education at the Design Academy Eindhoven where she was Chairwoman from 1999 to 2008, humanitarianism within the Heartwear craft foundation she co-founded in 1993, and curatorial work as she delves into the art and design domain, illuminating museums and exhibits around the world. 

Who would you include on this list? We would love to know