I just found this poster online and it reminded me that my design journey really started at this conference in the Colorado Rookies in 1981. I hadn’t heard of the conference but I went on the recommendation of our family friend, Karen Laubhan (who had attended a few years earlier). The theme for that Summer was The Italian Idea and my favorite car designers were scheduled to attend so it felt like a must for me.

My parents couldn’t take me so they sent me on my own and my entire world opened-up. It was there that I first encountered Missoni, Alessi, Bellini, and so many more. It was also there that I learned about Art Center College of Design and I visited Pasadena later that Summer, as a result (and later applied and earned my bachelor degree in Transportation Design there).

It’s funny, now, but at the time I knew about architecture, car design, fashion design, and interior design but it never really occurred to me that people designed furniture or flatware, or so many other things. I certainly didn’t know that there were other professions that I might do myself.