Women Who Shaped the World: Celebrating Trailblazers in Design for Women's History Month

For far too long, the contributions of women designers were overshadowed, but their impact is everywhere. From architects who redefined modern living to designers who blended style and function in ways we now take for granted, these women have changed the way we experience the world around us. So, in honor of Women’s History Month, let’s shine a light on the trailblazers who broke the mold and paved the way for future generations of creatives.

‍

The Iconic Ray Eames

Ray was a pioneering designer known for her sharp-sightedness and attention to detail, which was evident in her choices of color, materials, and furniture design. Her innovative, hands-on approach defined her radical design ethos, which she applied to all of her work.

Together with her husband, Charles, they designed the iconic and ubiquitous Eames Lounge Chair and Eames Shell Side Chair.

The duo also designed their own home, Case Study House No. 8, a landmark of mid-century modern architecture, located in Pacific Palisades (we’re so relieved it survived the recent fires). The home has been described as “a Mondrian-style composition in a Los Angeles meadow.”

Zaha Hadid, ‘Queen of the Curve’

Zaha was an Iraqi-British architect, artist, and designer known for her radical deconstructivist designs. Her futuristic and fluid work— like the London Aquatics Centre and the Heydar Aliyev Center—redefined architecture with bold, sweeping forms.

She shattered glass ceilings as the first woman awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004.

Zaha’s work pushed the boundaries, making her a renowned figure in architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries.

Eileen Gray, ‘Mother of Modernism’

Eileen Gray was a trailblazing Irish architect and furniture designer who completely shook up the design world. Born in 1878, she was one of the first women to make a name for herself in architecture, a field dominated by men at the time. Her work was all about sleek, modern, and functional design—way ahead of its time.

She’s best known for E-1027, a modernist masterpiece of a house she designed with Jean Badovici, as well as iconic furniture like the Bibendum Chair and the Adjustable Table E-1027, which are still popular today. Gray had a knack for mixing materials and creating pieces that were both beautiful and practical, blending influences from Art Deco, Bauhaus, and early modernism.

For years, her contributions were overlooked, but now she’s rightly recognized as a pioneer in both furniture and architecture. If you love clean, functional, yet stylish design, you’ve got Eileen Gray to thank!