Angelo Donghia, (1935-1985) was an American interior designer whose contemporary design innovations include unusual upholstery treatments, shiny lacquered walls and unusual combinations of fabric textures and patterns.  He became widely popular through shrewd marketing arrangements for products carrying his name and was the first U.S. designer to endorse a line of interior products of unparalleled quality and sophistication. A Donghia Studio showroom is always one of my first stops when designing a space.

I recently discovered that his Foundation, who has a scholarship program providing assistance for the advancement of education in the field of Interior Design, awarded $30,000 each to two Interior Design seniors at my alma mater at the University of Texas at Austin under the guiding eye of its wonderful Program Director Dr. Nancy Kwallek. Wooohoooo!!!

What makes this a special recognition in my eyes is that the recipients, Ashley Thompson and Jessica Yong won the scholarship competition with their submission of a boutique design for CARR, a local New York City high fashion label, to be sited in Austin. The CARR brothers graduated from the University of Texas/Austin and have been in the fashion business for over 30 years, the late Zack Carr being head designer for Calvin Klein and my dear friend, the ever so thoughtful and brilliant George Carr, an international marketing executive with both Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

This makes me so happy.  To the recipients who will be studying in Europe in the Fall, take the Continent by storm and congrats.  To Nancy Kwallek, this is such well-deserved recognition for your never ending hard work and interest in student development in Interior Design and to George Carr, onward and upward my friend!

image credits: (1) Donghia advertisement, Donghia; (2) Jessica Yong, CARR Austin store perspective; (3) CARR, NYC showroom; (4) Ashley Thompson, CARR Austin store perspective